Hills and Valleys
by StrawberryPajamas
Summary: Life is quiet in the small town of Easton, Washington. Here resides single mom Ana Steele, her son Ted, her father Ray, and their family-owned carpentry shop Steele Woodworking. Their lives are good, until a GEH-owned company sets up shop in the middle of town and disrupts the status quo - and changes Ana's life. AU OOC
1. Welcome to Easton

**A/N: Here's my new story! Hope you all enjoy :)**

 **Summary: Life is quiet in the small town of Easton, Washington. Here resides single mom Ana Steele, her son Ted, her father Ray, and their family-owned carpentry shop Steele Woodworking. Their lives are good, until a GEH-owned company sets up shop in the middle of town and disrupts the status quo - and changes Ana's life. AU OOC**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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 **Hills and Valleys**

 **By Strawberry Pajamas**

 **Chapter 1: Welcome to Easton**

Even for small towns, Easton was considered miniscule by most people's standards. With only about 400 year-long residents, this little mountain town was often passed by travelers taking road trips along the interstate from Seattle to Spokane. The mountainous terrain often made this area a bit treacherous too, meaning the average person wouldn't find themselves wandering around this land without any provisions, or at least some sort of previous experience navigating the Cascade Mountains.

Yet the people of Easton lived a quiet, simple life, running their town the way they wanted to. The residents owned most of the businesses in town, everything from the local shops and retail stores to the transit station where cargo was unloaded and picked up from passing trains.

This particular mid-May morning was seasonably warm and sunny, and the main road that cut through town was mostly empty except for one lone bicyclist - a young woman with a small child-sized trailer attached to the back of her bike that had a little boy inside.

The woman riding the bike had long, chestnut-colored hair, pulled back in a ponytail underneath her helmet, and it flew back in the wind as she pedaled down the street. She had a very lithe and slender figure, showcased by the white tank top, dark wash skinny jeans, and tennis shoes she wore. Her face beneath the bike helmet was small and heart-shaped, with beautiful, clear blue eyes and a makeup-free complexion, with a few freckles spattered along her nose and cheeks.

She turned her bike and trailer into the parking lot of a small supermarket before stopping near the rusty rack by the front doors. She stood up and took off her helmet before kneeling down in front of the trailer.

"Hey buddy," she smiled, unzipping the front flap and seeing the grinning face of her four-year-old son wearing a green bike helmet. "Ready to shop with Mommy?"

"Yah!" he said happily. Ted was wearing his favorite blue Power Rangers shirt to match his cute little blue jeans, and his guileless green eyes gazed up at his mother with his usual eagerness and excitement. Ana unbuckled his bike helmet from his head, revealing his tousled light blonde hair, before helping him out of the trailer. Hoisting him up on her hip, Ana turned and headed into the supermarket.

A bell tinkled somewhere inside the building as the front door opened, and the woman behind the counter looked up from her magazine to see who had come in. She smiled upon noticing Ana and Ted.

"Hi guys," she said brightly. "How goes it this morning?"

"Hi, Phyllis. We're doing well," Ana smiled at her, walking over to the shopping carts and pulling one out. "How's business today?"

"Pretty quiet, as usual - Rodney and his boy were in earlier," Phyllis said, shaking her head with an indulgent smile. "I swear, those two clear out my whole supply of frozen beef and charcoal every time they come in."

"Well, on the plus side, their barbeques are pretty good," Ana pointed out, and Phyllis laughed.

"That's true."

Ana placed Ted in the front seat of their shopping cart before pushing it down the aisle. Since it was still pretty early in the morning and this town was so small, the food mart was empty as Ana shopped for her groceries. She picked out a loaf of bread, some milk, apples, oranges, crackers, pasta, and a few other things before bringing it all to Phyllis to ring up.

"Here you go, Ana - it's good seeing you guys again," Phyllis smiled at her after bagging up her groceries into two paper bags. "Say hi to Ray for me."

"Will do. Bye Phyllis," Ana smiled before picking up the bags and heading out of the store, lingering a little so that Ted could keep up behind her.

"I'm gonna put these bags in with you, okay sweetheart?" Ana said, placing the two grocery bags in the child trailer before buckling Ted in. He obediently wrapped his little arms around each bag and held them tightly to his body, grinning proudly. Ana chuckled at him.

"Good job buddy."

Ana clipped her helmet on her head before getting back on her bike. Part of her wished she could have taken the truck to the grocery store today (that way at least she could get more than just a few bags of food) but her father had to use the truck for a new shipment of lumber he was bringing into the shop today. Ana didn't really mind biking out to the supermarket with her son, though - it was only a half-mile trip, and the mountains visible in the distance made the route very scenic and beautiful.

Ana pedaled down the main road, where several shops, retail stores, and local diners stood. She smiled and waved at a familiar SUV passing by the opposite direction - the Schmidt's were a nice older couple who lived a few houses down from the Steele's, and they would often babysit Ted if Ray and Ana were unavailable. In a town this size, anyone who lived close by were practically considered family.

Ana now turned left down the side road leading to Lake Easton; this particular road was on a grassy knoll overlooking a wide valley which turned into a forest of evergreen trees in the distance. Usually the valley was an empty expanse of unused land next to the highway, but Ana was surprised to see several semi-trucks and flatbeds pulling up and parking along the side of the road, some even parking directly on the grass.

Ana stopped her bike and watched curiously as some worker men exited the trucks and gathered together in a group, conversing with each other while gazing around at the land they were parked on. Two other workers pulled a small wooden pylon sign out the back of their pickup truck and planted it in the ground beside the road. It was too far in the distance for Ana to read, but she recognized it as a jobsite sign marking a future building that was going to be there.

"What that, Mommy?" Ted asked her from inside the trailer.

"It's nothing, sweetie," Ana said distractedly, still gazing down at all the trucks stationed in the valley. Easton was a small town, and word traveled fast whenever a new construction project happened - Ana hadn't heard a word about this particular project, though. She wondered what was going on.

Grimacing slightly to herself, Ana continued to bike down the road toward her house, which stood about a quarter mile away from the valley. She and her father owned a two-story lodge on the edge of Lake Easton overlooking the mountains - right beside their home was a slightly smaller building made in the same style of their house which was Steele Woodworking, their family-owned carpentry shop.

Ana pedaled up the driveway and noticed her dad's pickup truck parked outside by the garage with large planks of mahogany wood loaded in the back. Ray walked out the front door with his work gloves and jacket on just as Ana pulled up the driveway on her bike.

"Hey guys," Ray grinned as his daughter and grandson. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were running errands this morning - I only needed the truck for one trip today."

"That's okay, Ted and I got to have a little bike ride this morning," Ana smiled, getting off her bicycle and removing her helmet. "Is this the whole shipment of wood you got?"

"Yup, this'll be enough for that 10-person dining table project," Ray said proudly, patting his hand on one of the pieces of dark brown wood. "Should take us about a week to finish though."

"And the chairs?" Ana knelt down in front of the trailer and unzipped the front, helping Ted out. "Usually those come along with a dining table, Dad."

"Apparently this customer is getting their chairs custom-upholstered by another company," Ray shrugged. "They just want us to do the table. Less work for us at least."

"Well, that's a relief," Ana grinned, picking up the bags of groceries in both arms.

"C'mere champ," Ray walked over and picked up Ted in his arms, swinging him up over his head and making him giggle happily.

"Be careful Dad," Ana said warningly, walking toward the front door, and Ray followed with Ted now perched on his hip. "You know how I feel about roughhousing."

"Your mom's a spoilsport, bud," Ray said conspiratorily to Ted, who snickered again.

"Shut up and help me with the groceries please," Ana grinned, walking into the kitchen and setting her bags on the counter. "And I wanted to talk to you about something, Dad."

"Sure - shoot," Ray said, bringing Ted in the living room where his toys were before walking back over to his daughter.

"Did you hear about something happening in the valley behind our house?" Ana asked, unloading the milk and eggs and putting them in the fridge. "Like a new construction or something?"

"No, I don't think so," Ray shook his head. "I saw a few trucks near there earlier, but I figured they were just passing through."

"Well I just passed by the valley on my way home and those trucks were parking right on the grass, and then I saw some construction people putting up a jobsite sign."

Ray paused, frowning at his daughter. "A new business is being built there?"

"Looks like it."

Ray still frowned thoughtfully. "Huh," she said after a moment. "I hadn't heard anything about that. D'you think Clayton would have approved this?"

Ana gave him a skeptical look. The mayor of Easton, Mr. Clayton, was an older gentleman who cared a great deal about preserving the land here in town. Large commercial businesses very rarely were allowed to construct their headquarters in Easton because of this.

"Think this might be some out-of-town business building on our land?" Ray asked what Ana was thinking, and she nodded.

"I'm afraid it might be. I think we should bring this to Clayton directly," Ana stated. "It could be a zoning issue, and if that's the case, this construction would be in violation of the law."

"I'll call him right now," Ray nodded, and he headed over to the landline phone. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

Ana continued to put away the groceries, thinking about the construction site. She didn't know what was being built there, but she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that, whatever it was going to be, it would not end well for their town.

* * *

 **Seattle**

"Mr. Grey?"

Christian Grey looked up from his computer to see his office door opening and his assistant Andrea peek inside.

"Yes Andrea?" Christian said, turning back to his computer. A potential new acquisition in the Midwest was being hashed out today, and Christian was juggling about a million things at the moment. He didn't have time for interruptions.

"I just got an update from your brother about Luxury Country Homes - you said you wanted to see it when it came in?" Andrea held up the file folder in her hand for him to see.

"Oh, yes," Christian said quickly, turning away from his computer and giving Andrea his full attention. He had been waiting to hear an update on LCH for a couple weeks now - it was a brand new architectural firm he and his brother Elliot had started, in addition to Elliot's commercial architectural company. The two of them were going to manage it together as a subsidiary of GEH - they were currently in the early stages of planning a storefront location outside Seattle, in an area where ideally Elliot's crew would be building the custom homes.

"Well, Mr. Grey finally found a patch of land to build the new LCH headquarters - a valley in the Cascade Mountains a couple hours outside Seattle near the interstate," Andrea said, walking toward Christian while opening the folder. "He says construction should take about three weeks to a month, give or take, and he faxed over the papers and permits he got for everything for you to review."

"Excellent," Christian took the papers from Andrea, glancing over them. "Any outstanding issues?"

"None that he found," Andrea shook her head. "He asked for you to look over the papers, though, just in case he missed something."

"Will do. Thanks Andrea," Christian said, and Andrea nodded before leaving his office.

Christian knew that looking over LCH's papers was just a formality - he and Elliot knew exactly what they were doing, and this new construction would be done within a few weeks' time. LCH could begin building houses out in the mountains for their clients, and GEH would get a sizable portion of the profits.

This whole construction would be smooth sailing from beginning to end. Christian had nothing to worry about, he was sure.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

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 ****IMPORTANT NOTE** Easton, Washington is an actual town in the Cascade Mountains, but this story will just be a fictionalized representation of it.**

 **If you liked the story so far, please review! To get teasers and updates, make sure you follow me on Facebook - my username is Straw Paj :)**


	2. Luxury Country Homes

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! It means the world to me :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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 **Chapter 2: Luxury Country Homes**

 **~5 days later~**

Christian sat in the backseat of his SUV as Taylor drove them toward GEH this early Monday morning. Rush hour had already begun, and the city streets were filled with cars heading to work for the day; GEH was usually less than ten minutes away by car, but in this traffic it would likely take twice that time. Christian took the extra time to check emails on his phone, impatient to get into his office so he could get some real work done.

Today was already going to be a bit of a headache, Christian could tell - the Luxury Country Homes project wasn't turning out to be as "smooth sailing" as he and Elliot had initially expected. The land that Elliot had found turned out to be next to a small town that was apparently taking issue with them building on their land. Some problems had arisen because of this, and construction had been delayed for the past few days. While Christian had dealt with similar difficulties with other projects like this in the past, it was annoying to have to put up with nonetheless.

Taylor finally pulled into the underground garage at GEH, and parked in the specially-marked spot near the front. Christian picked up his briefcase and stepped out of the car, straightening the lapels on his suit jacket as he waited for Taylor to walk up next to him. They headed over toward the elevators together, and just as the doors slid open, Christian's cell phone rang with an incoming call.

"Grey," he answered.

"Yo, are you at GEH yet?" Elliot asked.

"Taylor and I just parked and we're on our way up. Why?"

"I'm in your office right now - we need to talk about LCH," Elliot said, letting out a sigh. Christian knew this wasn't going to be a good talk. "This shit's been getting out of hand, and we need to figure out how to move forward from here."

"Agreed," Christian said resignedly. "I'll see you in a minute."

"Cool. Laters."

Christian hung up without saying goodbye. The elevator doors then opened to reveal the hallway off to the side of the front lobby, and he and Taylor stepped out and headed over to the main elevators, which would take them up to the twentieth floor where Christian's office was.

As Christian and Taylor waited for the elevator to take them up, Christian couldn't help but think about this new endeavor he was pursuing with Elliot - he had never done anything business-related with any of his family members before, at least not to this extent, but this was his honest attempt at reaching out to his brother a bit more. It was working pretty well too, for the most part, so he really wished he didn't have to deal with these land dispute problems regarding their new construction.

Elliot had been one of the few people who had stuck by Christian's side through all the shit that had happened to him this past year… in that all the dirty details of his past had unexpectedly come to light and he felt as if his world was about to fall apart because of it. The Seattle PD had apparently been investigating one of his mother's long-time friends, Elena Lincoln, on the belief that she had been grooming teenage boys and introducing them to a kinky fetish BDSM lifestyle. Last spring they finally got the proof they needed, and she was publicly arrested and brought up on multiple charges of sexual assault and child abuse. The news of her crimes were plastered all over the local Seattle media, and while the names of her underage victims were hidden from the public, some of the names of her adult victims had come out… most famously among them Christian Grey.

Christian had never wanted his family (nor indeed the rest of Seattle) to know the details about his introduction to sex, but it had quickly become public knowledge and he had to deal with the fallout. His parents were understandably horrified by this news, and his little sister Mia was very confused and upset, but Elliot was surprisingly calm about it all. He was extremely supportive of Christian throughout this whole ordeal, and Christian was inexplicably grateful for his unwavering support. Elliot confessed to him in private that Elena had tried to seduce him once when he was younger, and Christian realized he had more in common with his brother than he had ever previously thought.

He realized that if he hadn't closed himself off from his family for so long, perhaps none of this would have gotten so out of hand. For years, Christian had thrown all his time and effort in growing his company and hiding his secret lifestyle from the world, so much so that he had almost completely isolated himself from his family - the people who had always meant the most to him. After everything that had happened this past year, Christian knew he needed to show his family how much their support meant to him. Helping his brother start a new company seemed like a good place to start… it was better than nothing, at least.

The elevator doors opened and Christian stepped out, greeting Andrea before walking into his office. Sure enough, Elliot was already there sitting on one of his lounge chairs, reading some papers while relaxing with his feet up on the coffee table.

"Hey, what's up?" Elliot asked, glancing up at Christian before turning back to his papers. "Get me a coffee, will you?"

"Funny," Christian said dryly, moving toward his desk. "You wanted to talk about Luxury Country Homes?"

"Yeah - the locals are giving my construction guys more problems," Elliot said, sounding annoyed as he got to his feet and followed his brother to his desk. "Now they're stating that the lake near the construction site is a nature preserve, meaning it would be illegal for us to build near there."

"Are you serious?" Christian asked, exasperated. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Tell me about it," Elliot said, grimacing. "I think it's only going to get worse if we don't address the problem head-on. I can't afford to delay construction any longer… it might be necessary for us to go down to Easton and try to resolve this in person."

Christian figured Elliot might bring up going to this town and try to negotiate with the people there, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "Both of us?" he asked skeptically. "This is _your_ crew - why don't you just go down there yourself?"

"This project is both of ours, and you're the acquisitions guy," Elliot insisted, plopping himself down in the chair in front of the desk, and Christian sat down too. "I'm just the ruggedly-handsome construction guy who buys the land and pays the workers. Isn't negotiations the kind of stuff you do everyday?"

"I acquire businesses - I don't settle land disputes," Christian said firmly.

"It's all the same. Hell, if you can talk a company into selling itself to you, surely you can talk some disgruntled townspeople into letting us build on their land," Elliot stated begrudgingly, tossing his papers on the desk in front of Christian.

"Elliot," Christian sighed exasperatedly, shaking his head. "I really don't have time to leave work and go down to a construction site. Wouldn't it be easier for you to just find some new land that isn't near this town?"

"I already purchased the lot, and my team had already begun excavating the land - they were about to start construction when the townspeople intervened," Elliot explained. "I really don't want to have to give it up, Christian - this lot's in a great area with a ton of open land, and it's around where my crew are going to be building homes. This place is ideal for LCH."

Elliot sounded determined to keep this land, and Christian finally conceded. He let out another sigh. "Alright, how about this - I will go down to Easton tomorrow and try to talk to some of the townspeople, and if we don't reach an agreement within two days' time, we'll find another piece of land to build on somewhere else. Okay?"

Elliot nodded, looking slightly relieved. "Okay, that sounds fair. But did you want to go alone or should I come with you?"

"I should probably do this myself - all this negotiation stuff may be a little too difficult for your tiny brain to handle," Christian smirked over at his brother.

"Hey, I may not be that smart, but that's only because I'm the brawn of the family," Elliot lifted his arm and pretending to flex his bicep. Christian chuckled.

"Believe what you want, Lelliot."

Elliot grinned before getting to his feet. "I appreciate this, man," he said, suddenly sincere. "I don't know how I would be able to start this new business without you. If you want, I can start a preliminary search for a new lot to build on, just in case we can't keep this land."

Christian nodded, smiling. "Okay. I'll give you a call tomorrow once I get to Easton."

"Sounds good," Elliot said, gathering his papers together. "Hey, when you get back maybe we can hang out? We'll finally go out on that double date we've always been talking about."

Christian rolled his eyes - Elliot often made the joke of going out on a double date with him since he knew it was never going to happen. Christian had a submissive he refused to introduce to the rest of the family, even though they all knew he participated in the BDSM lifestyle, and Elliot rarely kept a girl around long enough to introduce to the family anyway. Therefore, double dates were out of the question.

"So what's your girl's name again? Leila, or something?" Elliot asked, smirking knowingly at his brother. "When can your dear old brother finally meet her?"

"Never," Christian said with finality. "Goodbye Elliot."

Elliot laughed as he turned and walked out of his office. "See ya, Christian."

Christian didn't look up as he heard his office door close, and he sighed to himself - a couple weeks ago, he was stupid enough to reveal the name of his latest submissive to Elliot. Since then, Elliot had been coaxing him to tell him more about her, which Christian was extremely reluctant to do. While Leila was an excellent submissive who he had kept under contract for the past five months, she definitely was not the type of girl he would bring home and introduce to the rest of his family. Elliot may joke about wanting to meet Leila, but Christian knew it was never, ever going to happen.

Christian picked up his BlackBerry and texted Taylor to come into his office ASAP. Moments later, he entered.

"You wanted something, sir?" Taylor asked.

"Yes Taylor. It looks like you and I need to head down to Easton first thing tomorrow morning to settle this land dispute," Christian explained. "We can fly there - be sure to call up Stephen and have him prep Charlie Tango for takeoff tomorrow at eight o'clock. Once you've done that, you and Sawyer go look up the people running the town and do a background check on them. I'll review the files before we leave tomorrow."

"Yes sir," Taylor nodded before turning to leave.

"And tell Andrea to come in here," Christian added. Taylor nodded before walking out the door.

Once alone, Christian got up from his desk and walked over to his floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the city below. Far in the distance, beyond the buildings and skyscrapers, he could just make out the Cascade Mountains sprawling along the horizon. From his vantage point, they almost seemed within reach.

A soft knock came from the door, and Christian turned around to see Andrea enter his office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Andrea - it looks like I won't be in the office for the next few days," Christian said, walking back over to his desk. "I'll need to reschedule some things."

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 **A/N: So we got a little back story on Christian now - next chapter, we'll see him and Ana meet. If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review :)**

 **I got a ton of friend requests on FB from you guys! Lol I got so many I may have missed your friend request - if you sent one and I haven't responded yet, try friending me again.**


	3. The Arrival

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Arrival**

 **~The next day~**

Helicopter blades whirred loudly from above, drowning out any other sound as Christian and Taylor flew Charlie Tango through the Cascade Mountains toward their destination. They both wore headsets with large cans on their ears, and Christian flipped a few switches before continuing to guide the helicopter due east. Seattle was long gone behind them.

"Air traffic control, this is Charlie Tango requesting landing at zero-niner-three-zero. Over," Christian spoke into his headset to air traffic control. In the distance far below, he saw a wide expanse of trees and rocky terrain, and in the midst of it was a long winding road leading to a small town he supposed was Easton.

" _Roger that - Charlie Tango landing at zero-niner-three-zero. Over_ ," a disembodied voice from air traffic control spoke through Christian's cans.

"There," Taylor pointed out the front window, toward an open space of land near the road. Christian could see the large patch of excavated land on the right side of the valley, with several large trucks and construction equipment parked alongside it. The left side of the valley was open and clear, however, which was where Christian planned to land.

He slowed down the helicopter to a hover before gradually beginning his descent toward the vast expanse of land beneath them. Even though Christian was completely focused on landing the helicopter, he couldn't help but notice the beauty of the mountains all around him. Sometimes he was so used to the city that he forgot how beautiful the rural areas of Washington really were.

They were now hovering about fifteen feet above ground, and below them the grass whipped around wildly by the wind from the helicopter blades. Slowly, gradually, Christian brought Charlie Tango down and landed gently on the ground, finishing with a slight bump.

"Very good, sir," Taylor complimented him on his landing.

"You're acting like I've never done this before," Christian smirked over at him, flipping a few switches on the control board.

"I just know that landing on grass can be a bit trickier than landing on a helipad, sir," Taylor explained, smirking as well. He pulled his cans off while Christian called air traffic control:

"Air traffic control, this is Charlie Tango, just landed at zero-niner-three-zero. Over."

" _Roger that. Over_."

Christian finally took off his cans, and powered down the helicopter, making sure the gauges and levels were all decent. The helicopter blades continued to spin above them, but Christian knew it was just inertia and that they would slow down after a few minutes.

"Grab our bags - we'll head into town right away," Christian said to Taylor, who obediently unbuckled his seatbelt and got up. "Do you know where Mayor Clayton would be?"

"I'm not sure, but I think those are some of the townspeople out there," Taylor pointed out the right side window.

Christian looked out where Taylor pointed, and sure enough about half a dozen people stood about two hundred yards away next to a couple pickup trucks parked near the empty construction site. Christian knew those people weren't the crew, since Elliot had told him they all cleared out yesterday when the locals wouldn't let them do their job. All the people currently standing there were staring at the helicopter, no doubt watching it as it landed.

"Well, it appears as if we made our grand entrance," Christian said wryly, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting up. Taylor handed him his bag with all his things in it, and Christian pulled out his BlackBerry, checking to see if his phone had any reception out here. "Ready Taylor?"

"Ready when you are, sir," Taylor said, grabbing his own bag.

"Then let's go."

The two of them hopped out of the helicopter and began to walk toward the construction site where the group of people were standing. As they walked forward, Christian could see that most of the people were older or middle-aged men wearing sweatshirts, worker jackets and baseball caps. Standing at the front of the group, however, was one young woman - the only female in the entire group.

Even from the distance, Christian could tell this girl was extremely attractive. Her long chestnut-brown hair had a slight wave to it which fell over her right shoulder, and, even with the tomboy-ish red flannel shirt and blue jeans she wore, her body appeared very lithe and athletic. Christian couldn't help but be surprised that a beautiful young woman like her was out here with all these blue collar men at a construction site.

Christian and Taylor walked closer, and the girl stepped away from her group to approach them. Upon closer inspection, Christian could see this girl's delicate, pixie-like face was highlighted with big blue eyes, a small button nose, and delicate lips, accentuated by a smattering of light freckles along her makeup-free complexion. Christian was floored by how beautiful she was - he had never really considered the "girl next door" type to be all that attractive, but this girl could definitely make him change his mind.

Christian was so caught up in her looks that he almost missed the cold stare and flat expression on her face as she walked toward them.

"Hell of an entrance," she quipped, stopping in front of them and glancing between the two. "Mind if I ask who you are?"

Christian quickly spoke: "I'm Christian Grey, and this is my head of security, Jason Taylor. I own this land and the building that's being constructed here." He held out his hand for her to shake.

"Yeah, I figured as much," she said wryly as she took his hand in her own, exhibiting a surprisingly firm grip as she shook it. Christian couldn't help but feel how soft and warm her small hand felt in his own, but didn't get a chance to dwell on it when she removed it to shake Taylor's outstretched hand.

"Ana Steele. Local resident," she introduced herself, looking back at Christian and crossing her arms. "Mind if I ask why you think you can build in our town?"

Christian and Taylor glanced at each other, eyebrows raised slightly. This girl was cutting right to the chase. "Well… I bought this land, which means I can build what I want on it. Do you have a problem with that?" Christian asked.

Before Ana could answer, the other men had stepped forward, glaring at Christian and Taylor as they did so. "Yes we do have a problem with that," an old man in a denim jacket said angrily. "We might be a small town, but we'd like to keep it that way - we don't want big companies like you building whatever the hell you want on our land!"

"Sam," Ana said to the old man, and he quieted. She turned back to Christian. "What he means, Mr. Grey, is that we don't like outside businesses building in our town without some sort of regulation in place. Easton has a lot of unused land that people like you try to fight over to buy all the time."

"People like me?" Christian couldn't help but ask.

"Rich-ass city folk," Ana clarified, raising a defiant eyebrow at him. Christian felt a bit taken aback she would say that to his face - normally this sort of attitude would send him into a fit of rage, but Ana saying it almost made him want to laugh. He exchanged another glance with Taylor.

"Look - we're not building a skyscraper out here or anything," Christian said, his CEO persona shining through as he turned back to Ana and the other men. "My brother and I are starting a home building company for people wanting to build new vacation homes out here in the mountains. Aside from constructing our headquarters in this valley, our presence will likely have very little effect on your town's day-to-day lives."

Ana and a few of the men glanced at each other, clearly thinking about what he said. After a moment or two, Ana turned back to him. "Be that as it may, there are zoning ordinances on this valley, meaning only residences are allowed to be built here. If you'd like an exception to be made for your business, you would have to take it directly to our town's mayor, Greg Clayton."

Christian stared at Ana, his annoyance growing as she stared directly back at him. This was her power move, and he had no choice but to play along. "Fair enough, Ms. Steele. Do you know where I can find him?"

"We'll take you to him," Ana nodded toward the other men, and they nodded back before turning to walk back over to their trucks. "Come on - you can ride with me."

Christian exchanged another glance with Taylor, who only shrugged resignedly before following Ana toward her truck. Christian sighed to himself before reluctantly following after them.

* * *

The ride into town was extremely awkward. Christian and Taylor had gotten into Ana's car, which was an old rusty red pickup truck. It looked rather cramped, but there was a backseat which was where Taylor could squeeze in while Christian rode shotgun. Ana pulled out of the construction site and drove them down the highway toward Easton. The trip was very bumpy, and it was not helped by the rickety old truck they were riding in, but Ana clearly wasn't bothered by it, so Christian didn't say anything.

"So Ana - what do you do for a living?" Christian asked conversationally after a couple minutes of silence while they drove.

"My father and I run a small carpentry shop over near Lake Easton," Ana said. "Mostly handcrafted furniture, chairs, tables, and shelves. We build things for people all over the state of Washington, and even beyond."

Christian nodded. "Right… and Lake Easton is near the valley where the construction site is, right?"

Ana shot him a glare. "Yeah - so?"

"Just saying that having a big, loud construction site near your place of work could affect your business. It makes sense you would be against me building something there - I would do the same if I were in your shoes," Christian said casually. He knew he was patronizing her, and Ana obviously noticed; she scoffed.

"As if you know the first thing about me," she said. "And for the record, Mr. Grey, none of us here are against new businesses being built in our town - we understand it helps the local economy, and it's nice to have a few new places to go to around here. We just don't like it when rich, well-to-do businessmen like you come barrelling in and acting as if you own the place. This is our town and we set the rules."

"'Rich, well-to-do businessmen'?" Christian repeated, glancing over at her with a raised eyebrow. "As if you know the first thing about me, Ms. Steele."

He mimicked her flippant tone of voice, and Ana didn't respond, though Christian saw her press her lips together in annoyance. Christian felt a bit smug, though honestly he didn't know what he was feeling toward Ana at the moment - he was annoyed yet also intrigued by her... Ana was unlike anyone he had ever met before, and he didn't quite know what to make of his interactions with her. She was intelligent and strong-willed, unafraid to talk back to him. But she was also sexy as hell and seemed completely oblivious to the effect she was having on him.

 _Pull yourself together, Grey - she's only a girl._

Ana finally pulled into the parking lot of an old brick building that had "Easton City Hall" written above the doors. She parked her truck near the front, and they all got out and walked together toward the building, which had a very 1960's decrepit sort of feel to it.

Christian was used to his lavish office at GEH and luxurious penthouse apartment, so being in this dusty cramped building with wood paneled walls and mustard-colored carpeting felt especially uninviting. He didn't say anything, however, as he and Taylor followed Ana down one of the hallways. She knocked on the last door.

An older gentleman with gray hair and glasses answered. He smiled widely upon seeing Ana, and greeted her with a friendly hug. "Ana, it's great to see you!" He pulled away from her and glanced over at Christian and Taylor. "And who are these gentlemen?"

"Greg, this is Christian Grey and Jason Taylor. Mr. Grey owns the property being built down in the valley," Ana explained to him.

"Oh yes, of course!" Mr. Clayton turned and smiled at Christian. "I received a call from your office yesterday, Mr. Grey, about your upcoming visit. Please, do come in."

Christian and Taylor both followed Mr. Clayton into his office, and Ana trailed in after them, much to Christian's surprise. He had assumed she wouldn't want to stick around for these business talks, but if Mr. Clayton wouldn't say anything, neither would he.

"I do apologize for all this ridiculousness, Mr. Grey," Mr. Clayton said without preamble. "I'm sure you have already figured out that the people in this town are incredibly protective of this land. Due to some past circumstances where businessmen tried to commercialize the areas around Easton, we're all very wary of strangers coming in to build here."

"As you should be," Christian agreed politely. "I know it seems strange that someone like me is coming into your town so suddenly to build a business, but I'm actually doing this for my brother. He's an architect looking to start a new company that builds vacation homes up in the mountains, and since I work in mergers and acquisitions, I promised I'd help him. We're having difficulties, though, since the people here keep harassing my crew and claiming we can't build in the valley since it's a nature preserve…"

"Seriously?" Ana asked angrily, and Christian and Taylor turned to her, though she looked at Clayton. "Goddammit, I bet it was Sam who said that."

"You're probably right," Mr. Clayton agreed, his expression forlorn. "Once again, I apologize, Mr. Grey. You and your brother are perfectly within your legal rights to build in the valley. However, I think it would put the people's minds at ease if one of our own was working together with you and supervising the work being done. Do you think that would be acceptable?"

Christian grimaced. He heartily disliked the idea of being supervised by one of these townspeople as if he was an errant child running amok, but considering how far they were willing to go to protect their own land, Christian supposed he could put up with a babysitter. However, that probably meant he or Elliot would have to be in Easton during the whole construction time, which would likely take weeks.

"...I suppose we could do that," he agreed reluctantly after a moment.

"Wonderful," Mr. Clayton exclaimed, reaching forward to shake Christian's hand. "Then we have a deal!"

"I think that's a great idea Greg," Ana said, nodding at him, and Mr. Clayton smiled at her.

"I'm glad you think so Ana, because I was going to ask if _you_ could be the one to supervise Mr. Grey."

Christian and Ana stood completely silent, staring at Mr. Clayton. After a moment, Christian glanced over at Ana.

 _Hm, maybe this whole supervising thing wasn't such a bad idea after all._

* * *

 **A/N: I had to do a ton of research about helicopters and air traffic control lingo so Christian could sound believable when flying Charlie Tango. I actually learned quite a bit lol.**

 **Hope you all liked that chapter! If you did, leave a review** **:)**


	4. A New Job

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: A New Job**

Ana couldn't have been hearing him correctly. "Wait… you want _me_ to supervise Mr. Grey's construction?"

The thought of doing that was definitely not appealing - not only did Ana have zero experience working at a construction site, but she would likely have to take time out of her busy day to work alongside Mr. Grey. She hardly knew the guy, but the fact that he had literally flown into town on a helicopter and acted like he knew everything made her seriously question the kind of person he was. She had called him rich and arrogant, though, so she felt pretty confident in that assumption of him.

Ana looked over at Mr. Grey, who was looking over at her too. She had to admit he was definitely easy on the eyes, with his messy copper-colored hair, silvery-gray eyes and chiseled jaw. He wore a light blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, dark blue slacks, brown leather shoes, and aviator sunglasses perched on his head. All of it put together probably cost more than Ana's entire house, she was sure.

Mr. Grey was probably the type of guy who knew exactly how good he looked, and liked to play the field because of it. He probably had a gorgeous model wife or a whole harem of women at his disposal back in Seattle - a real class act, to say the least.

"Considering your experience working in carpentry, Ana, I thought this would be a suitable job for you," Greg explained. "Supervising Mr. Grey's construction would only take about an hour or two out of your day, so it wouldn't interfere too much if you and Ray were busy working on a project."

"I'm fine with it," Mr. Grey piped up, and Ana and Greg looked at him. "I mean, if I have to take on someone to supervise our construction, at least I know I can trust Ana to do a good job."

"Seriously?" Ana asked him skeptically. "What on earth makes you think you can trust me to do a good job?"

Mr. Grey shrugged. "I just have a feeling you'd be good at it," he said. He gave her a charming grin before crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I'd hardly be a good CEO if I wasn't a good judge of character of the people I work with, now would I?"

"I can see you're humble too," Ana rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as well. Mr. Grey let out a snort, but she ignored him as she turned back to Greg. "Greg, can I have a word with you please?"

"Sure Ana. Mr. Grey?"

"We'll be right outside," Mr. Grey excused himself and Taylor as they stepped out of the office, closing the door behind them.

"…Greg, I'm not gonna lie, I don't like this guy," Ana said quietly a few seconds after he left. "He's a huge asshole with an ego to boot. I really don't want to have to work with him for the next few weeks… isn't there anyone else who would be willing to do it?"

"Ana, I seriously doubt he's that bad," Greg chuckled. "And if anyone in Easton can bring him to heel, it's you. I don't know what he's like as a person, but I know that he's honest in his business dealings - he and his brother have never led me to believe they're being shady or trying to cut corners with this new construction. It's just a few weeks of work for the both of you, and I'm sure you'll be able to keep him in line the whole time."

When Ana didn't say anything for a few moments, Greg went on. "…Is this about Ted? Because if Ray can't watch him while you're gone, I'm sure you could take him with you to the construction site, provided that neither of you get too close to the machinery."

"I know," Ana nodded. "It's not that. I'm just afraid this is all a bit out of my depth - what exactly am I supposed to do while supervising a construction?"

"You'd just be overseeing everything, and making sure the crew is staying on schedule. If Mr. Grey gets any new information, you should know it too - new workers, equipment, trucks… you name it, you should know about it. The three of us can go over it in finer detail tomorrow."

"Okay," Ana nodded, conceding. "I'll do it… but to be honest Greg, I don't think I can do it for free. I'm sorry to ask this, but I'd like some sort of compensation for the work I'm going to be doing."

"Of course," Greg nodded with a kind smile. "I'll pay you for the extra work, I promise."

"The payment better not be a date with your son though," Ana said warningly, though she smiled as she said that. Greg laughed.

"I swear it won't be… though I don't think Paul would object to that," he said amusedly, leading them both out the office door. Paul was Greg's son who was Ana's age, and he ran the local bar in town. He often flirted with Ana whenever he saw her - most of it was pretty innocent, but it was clear to anyone who saw him that he had a real thing for her. Ana felt a bit bad that she didn't reciprocate his feelings, but she knew it was all for the best. She didn't date at all because of Ted, and Paul was respectful of her decision.

"Did you want me to schedule a meeting with Mr. Grey and you tomorrow morning?" Greg asked, leading them both out into the hallway. "Nine o'clock, my office?"

"Sounds good," Ana nodded. "I'll see you then."

"Great," Greg smiled at her. "Thank you so much for doing this, Ana. I owe you big time."

"Yes, you do," Ana smiled back good-naturedly, and Greg chuckled. They hugged goodbye, and Ana walked out the front doors.

She immediately noticed Mr. Grey and Jason Taylor standing together next to her truck, talking with each other while texting vigorously on their phones. Ana stood a few feet away from them, waiting for them to finish up.

"…Ana," Mr. Grey finally looked up from his phone and smiled at her. "I'm glad you're here. Could you do me a favor and drive Taylor back to the helicopter?"

"Sure, but why aren't you coming?" Ana asked.

"I called a car service and they're going to be picking me up from here," Mr. Grey explained, looking down at his phone again. "They're going to give me a ride to the Airbnb rental I just booked for my stay here."

Ana knew that some of the more expensive houses around Lake Easton and in the mountains were vacation rentals, though she was surprised he had been able to book a place in a matter of minutes when it usually took weeks for anyone else to get one. "How were you able to get an Airbnb rental so soon? You've only just arrived in Easton."

"They made an exception for me," Mr. Grey said, glancing back up at her with a small smile. "Money tends to talk, and I'm not afraid to use my name when the need arises. However, the car service I called is going to be awhile since it's from out of town, so I'm going to have to wait here for it."

"Whatever," Ana shrugged, trying not to roll her eyes at how much of a snob he was being. "In case you wanted to know, though, Greg wants us to meet with him here tomorrow morning at nine o'clock to go over how this supervising situation is going to work."

"Alright," Mr. Grey nodded agreeably. "That sounds fine, but just know that as long as you're supervising the construction, I plan on sticking around here for as long as I'm able to in order to keep an eye on things."

Ana raised her eyebrows, feeling surprised and amused despite herself. "You don't trust me to do a good job supervising all by myself?"

"Honestly, no. You've already made it clear to me you don't like that I'm building in your town. How do I know I can trust you to be honest with Mr. Clayton when giving your reports to him?"

Ana felt a bit affronted, and for a moment she could only stare at him, blinking. "What? Whatever happened to ' _I know I can trust Ms. Steele to do a good job_ '?"

"I just said that to appease Mr. Clayton," Mr. Grey said with a straight face. There wasn't a hint of amusement in his voice, and Ana could tell he was being completely serious. "I honestly don't know if I can trust you to let me do my job here, but I would like to believe that you would. Just know that I won't hesitate to report to Mr. Clayton if I think for even a second that you're trying to deliberately impede the construction in any way."

Ana frowned at him, indignation building inside of her as she crossed her arms defiantly. "You're saying you don't know if you can trust me? Well, how do I know if you're going to cut corners during this construction? I would also like to believe I can trust you, Mr. Grey, but I can't just let you do whatever the hell you want in our town. I know that neither of us like this situation, but we're going to have to develop a little trust at some point if we're going to work together to get through this. Wouldn't you agree?"

Mr. Grey stared at her for a moment or two, as if contemplating his answer. "I suppose you've got a point," he said reluctantly before holding his hand out to shake. "And please, if we're going to be working alongside each other, I'd like you to call me Christian."

Ana felt a bit surprised, but didn't say anything about it as she shook his hand. "Alright… _Christian_. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." He gave her another charming smile.

They stared at each other for a moment before Ana finally let go of his hand. She turned to Jason Taylor, who was still standing several yards away. "You need a ride back to the helicopter?"

"Yes, ma'am," Taylor nodded.

"Are you not coming back, then?"

"I am, though not until a bit later. I'm simply taking Mr. Grey's helicopter back to its hangar in Seattle," Taylor explained. "I'm then going to pack our luggage and drive to Easton, and I should hopefully be back by tonight."

Ana nodded, understanding. "I see. I won't keep you here any longer, then - let's get going."

Ana led Taylor back to her truck and he got in through the passenger side. Ana got into the driver's seat, determinedly not looking over at Christian as she started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

 **Christian**

Christian watched Ana pull out of the parking lot and drive away down the road back to the valley with Taylor. When they were gone, he shook his head to himself - this girl was unlike anyone he had ever met before, and he couldn't bring himself to examine the feelings swirling around his chest as he thought about her. When he had been honest about how he felt about their work situation, she was unafraid to stand up to him and be honest about how _she_ felt about it too. Nobody other than maybe Ros ever talked to him like that - he couldn't tell if he liked it or hated it.

Christian pulled out his phone again and dialed his brother, deciding it was time to update him on the whole situation here in Easton.

Elliot picked up after the first ring. "Hey bro. Are you in Easton yet?"

"Yeah I am, and I talked to the mayor here about your land," Christian said. "We worked it out, but it's kind of a 'good news, bad news' situation."

"Oh God, do I want to know?" Elliot groaned.

"Well, I think you do - they're actually letting us build LCH in the valley," Christian said, unable to help the small smile appearing on his face as he said that.

"Holy shit, seriously? That's awesome!" Elliot said, the excitement evident in his voice, but he paused after a moment. "Wait, what's the bad news?"

Christian then launched into an explanation about how the people of Easton are extremely protective about their land and how the mayor assigned a supervisor to watch over their construction, thus forcing Christian to stay in Easton for the foreseeable future to oversee the project himself. Christian didn't bother mentioning that he knew who the supervisor was, and Elliot thankfully didn't ask more about that aspect of the situation.

"Jesus, man, this construction is likely gonna take weeks," Elliot said, sounding concerned. "Are you sure you're okay staying there for that long?"

"Yeah… I mean, Taylor's heading back to Seattle to pick up all of our stuff, and we're going to be staying in a fully-furnished rental. It's going to be like a vacation for me," Christian said honestly, and Elliot laughed.

"Only you would go to a jobsite and call it a vacation," he said amusedly. "I'm glad you aren't angrier about this whole thing, though. I would come down to Easton and do this with you, but I actually have to be in Chicago tomorrow to meet with a new client and I'm probably going to be there for the rest of the week."

"Don't worry about it," Christian said. "You can swing by at any time over the next few weeks, but just know that I've got the situation under control."

"Alright, thanks man," Elliot said sincerely. "I really owe you one."

"It's no problem," Christian said, and he noticed a sleek black Lexus pull up into the parking lot. "Sorry Elliot, I have to go. My ride's here."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later, man."

"Bye," Christian said, and ended the call before making his way over to the car.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next, we'll see Christian and Ana get to work with each other for the first time.**

 **Please review!**


	5. A Place to Call Home

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: A Place to Call Home**

The Airbnb rental Christian booked was a beautiful, two-story rustic cabin on the edge of Lake Easton, fully furnished with top-quality kitchen appliances, leather furniture, an HDTV, stereo system, and broadband connection. Once Taylor arrived back in Easton later that evening with the SUV and all of their luggage, Christian didn't hesitate in setting up his makeshift office in one of the spare bedrooms. He was glad that Taylor had brought along his PC as well as two monitors, an external hard drive, and a printer - with all of this technology, Christian would be able to do pretty much anything he needed to do for GEH right here in Easton.

Once he had finished setting up his office, he called up Ros and filled her in on the situation - she wasn't thrilled about it, obviously, but thankfully she understood. He said he would reschedule most of the meetings he was supposed to attend in the coming weeks, but some of the more important ones Ros agreed to attend on his behalf. After Christian worked the schedule out with her, he then called Leila to let her know he would not require her services for the next few weekends, but promised to make it up to her when he got back. Leila agreed compliantly, as Christian had expected her to, and she assured him she looked forward to it when he got back to Seattle and they could go to the playroom once again. Christian felt a little upset that he was going to have to basically give up sex for the next three weeks, but knew that he had endured dry spells far worse than this.

On Wednesday, Christian and Taylor drove down to Easton city hall once again and met with Mr. Clayton and Ana. The four of them sat down at a table together and hashed out the details of what Ana was going to do to oversee the construction. Mr. Clayton (who insisted Christian and Taylor call him Greg) said that Ana needed to have full access to to all paperwork, blueprints, permits, and anything else related to the LCH construction. Christian agreed, so long as both he and Ana signed confidentiality agreements regarding all the information being given them about LCH, and they both agreed. The whole meeting went by rather painlessly, much to Christian's surprise and delight, and they all agreed to start the construction the following day once the whole crew arrived with the equipment. Christian was then able to spend the rest of the day working from his rental home, getting everything ready for the next day while handling a few things for GEH.

Christian found himself (once again) being surprised by Ana's knowledge and expertise on certain matters, including the laws associated with permits and land surveys. It went far and beyond what was understood by most of the business associates Christian worked with, and her obvious intelligence and know-how boded well for the coming weeks. This whole project would likely go along very smoothly, and Christian hoped his and Ana's snarky back-and-forth wouldn't impede the work being done.

Ana Steele had brains, beauty, _and_ a smart mouth… Christian could only imagine the type of lucky bastard who would end up with a girl like her. He chuckled to himself as he thought about it.

* * *

Thursday morning dawned bright and early over Lake Easton, bathing Christian's lake house with beautiful pink and yellow light as he woke up for the day. The sun peeked up over the Cascade Mountains in the distance, and after Christian got out of bed, he went into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. He then stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the pristine lake, and gazed around at the trees and mountains surrounding him. There was some wooden patio furniture out on the balcony, and Christian sat down in one of the brown adirondack chairs, admiring the nature around him as he sipped his coffee.

He honestly loved visiting the Cascade Mountains. When he was younger, he and his family would often go camping or go on nature hikes around here; once in awhile, he and his brother would even go biking near Tiger Mountain, which was a fun tourist trap around this area. Christian wondered if Elliot would be up to mountain biking here on a weekend once this whole construction was finished.

Christian glanced around him, noticing there were several other houses neighboring him along the edge of the lake. He wondered idly if they were all vacation rentals too, but after a moment noticed that one of the homes nearest him had a backyard blocked off from the lake by a fence, and in the yard a little boy was playing all by himself.

He hardly looked older than four years old, with a little mop of blonde hair on his head, a blue t-shirt and brown cargo shorts. He was holding what looked like a toy car in his hand and was pretending to crash it into a small pile of rocks he had formed in the grass. He then lifted the car up above his head, got to his feet, and started running around the yard with the car in the air as if it were a spaceship. Christian watched him play, feeling mildly amused by his cute little game.

Christian wondered where the boy's parents were, and just as he thought that, the back door of the house opened up to reveal a young woman stepping out onto the porch. Even though it was far away, Christian immediately recognized the woman to be Ana, and it was with a small amount of shock as he watched her walk into the yard toward the little boy. He immediately dropped his toy and ran over to her, and she kneeled down on the grass with a big smile on her face, opening her arms up for him as he crashed into her embrace. Ana laughed and kissed him on the cheek before picking him up into her arms and hoisting herself to her feet, placing him against her hip as she did so. The boy immediately wrapped his little arms around Ana's neck, with all the ease and familiarity that came with being held by his mother.

Christian could only stare as Ana turned back toward the house and an older gentleman in a work jacket and baseball cap stepped out into the yard, walking toward Ana and the boy. The man smiled and ruffled the boy's hair playfully before the three of them made their way over to a slightly smaller building right next to the house. None of them seemed to notice Christian watching them from his balcony next door, and soon they disappeared inside the building.

Christian was too stunned to move for a few moments, and he could only sit there as he absorbed everything he had seen. Ana had a son… how did he not realize that? He supposed he didn't know her well enough to ask her that sort of thing, but did that mean there was a father in the picture? Perhaps a boyfriend or a husband she never mentioned? There was a man with her just now, but Christian felt sure that was the boy's grandpa, considering his age and the fact that Ana mentioned she and her dad ran a carpentry shop together.

Christian shook his head before getting to his feet and walked back into the house, still trying to process what he saw. The fact that Ana was a mother shouldn't have bothered him, but it did for some reason. Perhaps it was because he hadn't run a background check on her yet? That must have been it - he was accustomed to having in-depth information about the people he worked with, but he hadn't yet run background checks on the people here in Easton. He'd be sure to get Welch on it right away.

Christian finished the rest of his coffee before heading upstairs to get ready for the day. He pulled out his BlackBerry and shot Welch a quick email as he did so.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Christian and Taylor had arrived at the construction site, where a large number of crew members had already arrived. The foreman, a large bearded man named Andy Shale, greeted them as they walked up.

"'Morning, Mr. Grey - Mr. Taylor," Andy reached out and shook Christian's hand and then Taylor's. "Me and some of the boys just got here - glad to see we're moving forward with the construction after all this delay."

"We're glad too," Christian smiled wryly, glancing at the area around him - there was a vast expanse of excavated land surrounding them, and about twenty or so men in hard hats and yellow safety vests walking and talking to each other while reading blueprints. He didn't see Ana anywhere yet, but figured it was still early. "Are you guys ready to start?"

"Yeah, we're about ready to break ground, but there might be a small problem," Andy said, grimacing as he scratched the back of his neck.

Christian frowned at him. "What is it? Are we not able to start today?"

"No, we can start today, but before this whole delay happened we were having a bit of a logistics issue," Andy explained. "Even now it'll still slow everything down quite a bit. All our lumber and equipment is supposed to be coming in on flatbeds within the next few days or so, but the way from Seattle to here is through the Cascade Mountains, and some of the roads out here get to be too treacherous for our larger trucks to drive on. One of my guys actually got stuck trying to make a sharp turn along one of the mountains."

"I see," Christian said. "Okay… well, do we have to use large flatbeds for everything we're bringing up here?"

"For the bigger pieces of machinery, yeah we do," Andy nodded. "For the tools and lumber, we can get away with using smaller trucks, but that means we'd have to take more trips to Seattle, which would take up more time, money, and manpower."

Christian sighed, feeling his spirits sink. "Dammit," he muttered to himself, putting his hands on his hips as he tried to think of another solution. "I saw a small airport a few miles outside of town - do you think it would be possible to fly some of our cargo here?"

"I saw that airport too, sir, but it's far too small an operation," Taylor shook his head. "It's only used for small crafts and gliders, I believe. Definitely not equipped for a large cargo plane."

"Then I suppose we'd have to make do with smaller trucks," Christian said, unhappy that a problem had to arise so early during the construction. "To make up the difference and save some time we could hire more drivers and rent a few more trucks. Though we'd have to work out what that would all cost…"

"What about the train?"

Christian, Taylor, and Andy all turned to see Ana walking toward them, her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a yellow safety vest over her white t-shirt.

"The train?" Andy frowned at her.

"We have a railroad that starts in Seattle and runs right through Easton. Our freight station is actually about a mile outside town," Ana said, pointing west down the highway. "The railroad cuts right through the mountains, and I'm sure you can bring everything you need in just one trip."

Christian and Taylor exchanged a glance, eyebrows raised. "That could work, actually," Christian said, sounding surprised.

Andy's whole face lit up as if Christmas had come early this year, and he beamed widely at Ana. "A freight train would be the perfect solution - I hadn't even thought of that! We could get everything up here in one day! Do you know how much freight transportation would cost?"

"You'd have to talk to Mark Porteous about that - he and his wife run the station," Ana explained to him. "I can give you his number, if you'd like."

"Yes, absolutely."

Ana and Andy stepped aside as Ana gave him the number he needed, and Christian watched them, feeling relieved that their logistics issue could be solved so easily.

"I guess that problem took care of itself," Taylor noted, thinking along the same lines as Andy and Ana talked. Christian smirked.

"I suppose it did," he agreed. Andy punched something into his cell phone before bringing it to his ear, and Ana walked back over to Christian and Taylor.

"That was a great idea, to use the train," Christian said to her as she approached them. "Thank you for that suggestion."

Ana shrugged modestly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "A lot of people have trouble transporting goods over the road here because of the mountains. The freight train is useful whenever large cargo is involved - my dad and I have used it a couple times in the past to transport lumber for larger carpentry jobs."

The mention of Ana's father reminded Christian of what he had witnessed earlier that morning, and his eyes instinctively went down to Ana's crossed arms, where her left hand was visible near the crook of her elbow.

No wedding ring.

The sight of her bare finger made Christian happy for some reason, and he couldn't fight his smirk as his eyes moved back up to Ana's. "Well, we all appreciate you looking out for us, Ms. Steele."

Ana smirked right back at him. "It's what I'm here for, after all."

She then walked past him and Taylor toward a few of the construction workers nearby who were holding blueprints. Christian watched her for a moment or two before shaking his head, a small smile still on his face.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Christian will officially meet the whole Steele family.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Working Day to Day

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Working Day to Day**

 **Ana**

Ana couldn't help but feel a bit nervous going onto the construction site the first morning. She had no idea what to expect when she got there, and she honestly felt worried that no one would take her seriously since she was just some random girl who lived in town ordering them around. However, after she was able to solve their logistics issue by suggesting the freight train, they all seemed to accept her a bit more as part of the team, and she and the foreman Andy spent about an hour discussing the construction and what they were planning to do over the next few days. Though Ana had never worked at a construction site before, she found a lot of it could be applied to what she already knew having worked in carpentry, so that helped her out a bit.

Overall, the first day at the jobsite went pretty well, however Ana didn't really get a chance to work with Christian very much. Several times she saw him talking to some of the other construction workers, and she was able to see his management style firsthand. She had expected him to play up the stereotypical CEO role - ordering around everybody and demanding everything be done a certain way - but he actually wasn't like that at all. He was still authoritative, but not to the point of being overbearing or condescending, and he actually listened when others spoke or offered suggestions. She was pleasantly surprised by this, but supposed she had constantly been surprised by him since he had arrived in Easton. Maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to judge him.

The second morning, Friday, Ana arrived at the jobsite bright and early to see Christian standing with Taylor and a couple of the construction guys going over some blueprints. Several large backhoes were being driven up onto the excavated land, ready to start digging a hole for the building's foundation.

Christian glanced up as Ana approached, and he smiled at her before giving the blueprints over to one of the construction guys. "Thanks Garrett. Everything looks good - you guys can start breaking ground whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Mr. Grey."

Garrett, Taylor, and the others all walked away, and Christian moved toward Ana. "Hey."

"Hi," she said, glancing around the construction site. "We're ready to start digging then?"

"Yup. All the equipment is coming in on the freight train tomorrow, so for now we can use the backhoes we already have to start breaking ground," Christian said, glancing around at the excavated land. He then chuckled to himself before shaking his head. "You know, I never thought I'd be in charge of a construction site before. It's definitely a new experience for me."

"For me too," Ana admitted. "I never thought I'd have to help oversee a construction site before, so I guess you and I are in the same boat."

"I guess so," Christian smiled down at her. "You know Ana, I have to say I'm kind of impressed at how well you're taking on this role. I was a bit surprised at how well you've been doing so far."

Ana raised her eyebrows at him, feeling a little taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Christian's smile faded, realizing what he had said. "Um… I just mean that you said you've never done anything like this before, and you've shown yourself to be very well-suited for this job, that's all. You're doing a great job and I wanted to acknowledge that."

"I see," Ana said skeptically, stepping past him to walk around the jobsite. Christian watched her walk away for a moment before hurrying to catch up.

"I'm not a misogynist, so you know," he said defensively as he fell in step beside her. "My second-in-command back at GEH is a woman, and she's one of the best business people I've ever had the privilege of working with."

"And yet she's still number two," Ana pointed out, glancing over at Christian while fighting a small smirk on her face. She was just teasing him now, and Christian finally seemed to catch on - he smiled and chuckled.

"You got me, Ms. Steele," he said amusedly, and Ana let out a giggle. "Apparently I can't even give you a compliment."

"Apparently," Ana quipped humorously. "Despite not having worked in construction before though, Mr. Grey, I'd say you're doing a pretty good job too."

Christian laughed. "Thank you."

They fell into comfortable silence for a few moments after that, walking together around the construction site and watching on as the backhoes began digging into the excavated land.

"…Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something," Christian said, and Ana looked over at him. He nodded over toward Lake Easton. "Your house is over by the lake there, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ana said, wondering why he was asking.

"My rental house is on the lake too. We're neighbors actually - I just thought you should know," Christian said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Ana gave him a strange look.

"Have you been spying on me?" she asked dubiously.

"Not intentionally," Christian said quickly. "I just spotted you the other day in your backyard… you were with a little boy and an older man."

Ana realized what he was getting at, and she bit her lip. She hadn't mentioned to him yet that she had a son, but she supposed she had to bring him up at some point. She cleared her throat, glancing down at her feet. "Yeah, um... that was my son Ted and my father Ray. We all live together in the house, and my dad and I work in the carpentry shop that's on our property."

Christian nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much when I saw all you guys together. I was just a bit surprised, though… I guess I never pegged you as a mother."

"A lot of people don't - that's why I normally don't bring it up," Ana said truthfully. She reached into her back jeans pocket, where she kept a well-worn wallet-sized photo of her and Ted - it was her favorite picture, where she was carrying Ted in her arms and their foreheads touched sweetly, smiling widely at each other. Ray had taken that picture of them last Easter during the church picnic, and he loved it so much that he printed multiple copies of it and even kept a framed one on the wall in the house. She now handed the picture to Christian, and he smiled widely as he gazed down at it.

"He's adorable," he complimented her after a moment, smiling back up at Ana and handing the picture back. "You both look so happy. How old is he?"

"In the picture he was still three," Ana said, smiling down at the picture in her hand. "But Ted just turned four last month. They grow up so fast."

"I've heard that's true," Christian smiled.

Ana looked up at him. "You're not a parent then?"

"Nope," Christian shook his head. "Not married either."

"Oh," Ana said, and then smirked ruefully, shaking her head. "Well, I'm not married, but that didn't stop me from being a parent anyway."

"So no boyfriend, then?" Christian asked quizzically. Ana looked up at him, but before she could answer, Taylor approached them.

"Mr. Grey, the foreman needs to speak with you about the equipment that's coming tomorrow," he said.

"Alright," Christian nodded, and turned to Ana. "You coming?"

Ana blinked, feeling momentarily surprised at his offer. "Oh, um - yeah sure."

She quickly followed Christian and Taylor toward where Andy was standing and talking to some of the other workers. She watched as the backhoes began to dig into the excavated land, bringing up huge scoopfuls of dirt, and felt almost eager for this construction to commence. Ana wanted to prove herself to everybody here - to prove that she was more than just some random town girl ordering them around - and she was beginning to feel that Christian was starting to think of her as part of the team.

The thought of earning Christian Grey's respect was more appealing to her than what she wanted to admit to herself, and she couldn't help but smile at the thought.

* * *

 **Christian**

Friday ended up being a pretty short day at the construction site - the backhoes had done their job, and the hole for the building's foundation had been completely dug out by mid-afternoon. There wasn't much else they could do until the rest of the construction equipment came in on the freight train tomorrow, so Christian, Ana, Taylor, and the rest of the crew packed up and left before dinner that night. Christian watched as Ana headed over to her house in her red pickup truck, which he knew was right next door to his own house.

He was surprised and happy when Ana openly talked to him about her son - Ted, his name was apparently - and she had even showed him a picture of the two of them together. While Christian had never considered himself to be much of a kid person, he couldn't help but think that Ana's son was absolutely adorable, and he clearly made Ana very happy. Christian was still kind of shocked to learn that Ana was a mother - he had pegged her to be only about 23 or 24 years old. She must have gotten pregnant with Ted at a very young age, but Christian didn't want to think about it too much since he didn't like the idea of Ana being with another guy.

Even though he shouldn't really care that Ana had been with someone else… just because she was an attractive woman didn't mean he wanted to have sex with her or anything. She had a son, and he had a submissive back in Seattle - obviously nothing was going to happen between the two of them, so he may as well just put it out of his mind.

Christian and Taylor arrived back at the rental home, and Christian immediately set down his things on a nearby chair as he walked into the kitchen. "Hey Taylor, is Gail still visiting her sister down in Tacoma?"

"Yeah, she'll be back in Seattle by Sunday," Taylor said, setting his own things down on the couch. "Why?"

"Do you think she'd be willing to come to Easton and stay with us for the next few weeks?" Christian opened up the refrigerator and gazed into it. "I'd be willing to pay her for it."

Taylor chuckled, understanding his boss's motives. "Oh, I don't know sir - I think she would prefer having the next couple weeks off where she won't have to cook and clean for us."

"Tell her I'll pay her double, and I'll even throw in some extra vacation days around Christmas time," Christian reached into the fridge and pulled out a saran-wrapped turkey sandwich which was slightly squashed, and he gazed down at it despondently. "I can't live like this for much longer."

"I can give her a call tonight," Taylor promised, a smirk still on his face, and Christian grinned.

"I appreciate it," he said wryly, walking over to pick up his briefcase, sandwich in hand. "If you need me I'll be in my office."

"Yes sir."

Christian went upstairs and into his office, closing the door behind him. He then sat down behind his desk and powered on his computer, unwrapping his sandwich from the plastic wrap. He sincerely hoped Gail would consider coming to Easton once she was done visiting her sister - he was already missing her delicious home-cooked meals and sweet, maternal presence in his life.

When his computer powered on, Christian clicked onto his Outlook email and found about twenty new emails waiting in his inbox. The first new email was from Welch, and it was Ana's background check - he hovered his mouse over it for a moment or two, silently debating with himself whether or not he should open it…

Background checks were standard in his line of work, but having one done on Anastasia almost felt like a violation of her privacy. His motivation for having one done on her was purely selfish, since he had just wanted to know more about her and her son, but earlier today at the jobsite she willingly talked to him about Ted, even showing him a picture of the two of them together. He got to learn more about Ana from simply talking to her.

 _Who'd have thought?_

Christian hesitated for a few more seconds, staring at the email containing Ana's background check, before cursing under his breath and moving it over to the Drafts folder without reading it. He then clicked onto his other unread emails, deciding to focus on other business matters and put Ana's unread background check out of his mind.

~/~

Saturday rolled around, and while Christian would have normally let the crew have the day off today, all the equipment was coming in on the freight train this morning, and he needed all hands on deck to help transport it here to the jobsite. Christian would be overseeing everything, with Ana's help of course, and as he and Taylor pulled into the jobsite that morning, he wasn't surprised to see her red pickup truck already there.

However, as Christian and Taylor stepped out of the SUV, he was surprised to see that Ana wasn't alone. She was standing beside her truck with the man and the little boy Christian had spotted her with the other day - he realized immediately that that was her father Ray and her son Ted, and he began to walk toward them.

Ana saw Christian approach, and she smiled at him rather sheepishly, giving him a small wave. "Hi… sorry, these guys wanted to see the construction site for themselves today. I wasn't sure if it was alright since all the equipment is coming in, but if it's not I can take them home right now."

"Oh no, it's quite alright," Christian grinned brightly at the three of them, and he held his hand out for Ana's father to shake. "Hi - I'm Christian Grey, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Ray Steele, Ana's father," Ray smiled kindly, shaking Christian's hand with a firm grip much like his daughter's. "And this here is my grandson, Ted."

Ted was standing between Ana and Ray, holding tightly onto his grandfather's hand. He was staring guilelessly up at Christian with big green eyes, and Christian's heart warmed at the sight of his adorable little face. He squatted down on his haunches so he was eye-level with Ted.

"Hi Ted - I'm Christian. It's nice to meet you," he smiled, and Ted smiled back. Christian then held his palm out for him. "Can I get a high-five?"

Ted grinned brightly before lifting his small hand and high-fiving Christian's much larger one. Ana and Ray both laughed.

"Great job buddy!" Christian grinned at him. "So your mommy said you wanted to see the construction site today?"

"Yeah!" Ted said happily, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet.

"Well let's get you your own hard hat, and then we can see all the cool machines and stuff," Christian promised him. "How does that sound?"

"Good!" Ted grinned.

"Awesome - then let's go."

Christian directed Ray to the foreman's trailer nearby, where all the spare hard hats were located, and told him there was probably a small hat there that could fit on Ted's head. Ray began to lead his grandson over to the trailer, and Christian and Ana followed them.

"I'm really sorry if we're imposing," Ana said apologetically to Christian, and he looked over at her to see her expression was rather embarrassed. "Ted apparently told my dad he wanted to see all the big trucks here, and so Ray insisted on tagging along with me today to the construction site. I didn't really want them to come today, especially with all the equipment coming in, so I promise we'll be out of your hair soon."

"Oh please, don't worry about it," Christian insisted sincerely. "I'm actually glad I finally get to meet your family. We're going to be neighbors for the next few weeks, after all, so I think it's only fair we all should get to know each other a little better."

Ana smiled at him. "Okay… well then, thanks for understanding," she said gratefully. Christian grinned back at her.

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Steele."

Ray and Ted soon came back with Ted wearing a small (yet still overlarge) hard hat on his tiny head. The adults all wore yellow safety vests, and they began to make their way around the construction site, Christian and Ana pointing out the large machinery and excavated land for Ted to see. He seemed very excited by all of this, gazing around at the construction with innocent wonder and eagerness, and Christian found himself enjoying spending time with him and Ray as they walked around the jobsite.

Ana may have felt a bit embarrassed by her family coming with her to the construction site today, but Christian didn't miss the fact that every time he interacted with Ted, Ana would beam happily at him. While Christian knew it probably wasn't the best motivation in the world, a part of him felt that he would gladly spend every day in Easton with Ana's son if it meant that she would smile at him like that.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed that! Next chapter, we'll learn a bit more about Ana and Ted's backstory.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think! :)**


	7. Hannah

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Hannah**

While Ana had initially felt embarrassed her father insisted upon bringing Ted to the construction site on Saturday, she couldn't help but feel warmed by how sweetly Christian had acted toward her son. She hadn't been sure how he felt toward kids in general, but thankfully he hadn't made her feel ashamed for bringing her family - on the contrary, he led them all on a small tour around the construction site, making sure to point out the bigger pieces of machinery for Ted's benefit. Ted was so excited to be seeing all the cool trucks that he even asked Christian for a better look, and Christian asked Ana if it was okay if he picked him up in his arms so that he could have a higher viewpoint. Ana said it was perfectly fine, and for the rest of their walk Christian carried Ted in his arms, the little boy appearing delighted upon having such a high spot to see everything on the jobsite. Ana and Ray couldn't help but exchange smiles as they watched Ted having such a great time.

While most of the people here in Easton knew who she and Ted were and treated them kindly, Ana couldn't help but feel touched by the fact that Christian was getting along so well with her son. It warmed her heart for some reason, though she couldn't quite figure out why.

Once Andy the foreman and a few of the other construction guys arrived to the jobsite with some of the new equipment, Ana ushered Ray and Ted back to the truck to take them home, and Christian said that they could come back anytime.

Ana spent the rest of Saturday helping her father at the carpentry shop, and by the time the day was over and she had tucked Ted into bed, she was completely exhausted. She hadn't realized how much hard work she had been doing the past few days at the construction site, and in addition to her usual carpentry work and being a mom to Ted, she felt practically dead on her feet at this point. Once she had changed in her pajamas, she lay down on top of her comforter and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, not waking up until late Sunday morning.

Yawning widely, Ana pulled herself out of bed and saw a note from her father on her bedside table. Apparently, he had taken Ted to church that morning and afterward they were going out to lunch, giving Ana the morning free. She smiled at her father's kind gesture, and felt inexplicably grateful for it as she dragged herself to her bathroom to shower and dress.

It was ten o'clock by the time Ana went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. It was a beautiful summer day out today, and Lake Easton shimmered underneath the blue cloudless sky outside. Ana took her mug of coffee and walked over to her patio door, gazing out into the woods and taking in the peaceful nature surrounding her home.

Ana glanced over toward the vacation rental house next door, the one that Christian said he was staying in, and she actually saw the man himself sitting on his outdoor balcony overlooking the lake. He was sitting in an adirondack chair in front of a patio table, with his laptop and a travel mug of coffee, and he typed away busily on his computer without noticing he was being watched. Ana observed him for a minute or two, unsure if she should approach him, but finally decided the neighborly thing to do would be to go over and say hello. She stepped out of the house, mug in hand, and walked across her yard and toward where Christian sat.

When she was about ten feet away, Christian finally looked up from his laptop and spotted her. He smiled brightly. "Hey there, neighbor."

"Hi," Ana couldn't help but smile. "Sorry, I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"No, not at all," Christian said politely, and he closed his laptop before pushing it away from him. "I was just checking in on my company in Seattle - my CFO Ros is going to be attending a meeting for me today. Would you like to sit down?"

"Sure."

Christian scooted his chair over to show that there was another adirondack chair right beside him, and Ana tentatively walked up the steps to the raised balcony before moving to sit beside him.

"This house is beautiful," she complimented, setting her mug of coffee down on the patio table and glancing around. "You have a better view of the lake than we have."

"I get what I pay for," Christian chuckled, gazing out over the lake as well. "So how are Ray and Ted doing?"

"They're good. My dad actually took Ted to church this morning so I could sleep in a little, which was nice of him," Ana giggled. "It's rare when I actually get a day to myself like this."

"I can imagine," Christian said sympathetically. "You do seem to take on a lot, what with working at the carpentry shop as well as the construction site. So is it just you, your father, and your son living at the house then?"

"Yup," Ana nodded. She could tell Christian was trying to dig for information, and he smiled at her.

"I'm sorry if I sound intrusive," he said apologetically. "It's just that I really liked getting to know your family yesterday and I want to know more about you guys, that's all."

"It's okay," Ana said understandingly. "You want to know about Ted's father, right?"

Christian didn't say anything, though the expression on his face confirmed Ana's belief. She smiled reassuringly at him.

"It's fine, Christian. I'm actually kind of used to some of the looks people give us. When Ted and I visit places outside of Easton, I sometimes get the 'where's his father?' question from people. I understand why you'd want to know, but it's actually more complicated than most people understand."

"What do you mean?" Christian asked, frowning curiously at her. Ana hesitated a moment or two before picking up her mug of coffee and staring down at it, not taking a drink.

"I don't really know how to explain it," she said slowly after a moment. "Everybody in Easton already knows everything that happened, though, so it's not a secret…" She finally looked back up at Christian, who was still gazing at her. "I think you should know that I'm not Ted's biological mother."

Christian didn't say anything for a moment, though the expression on his face was completely gobsmacked. He stared at her. "Wait - what? You're not?"

Ana shook her head. "His real mother was a girl named Hannah, and she was my best friend growing up. She died when Ted was just a baby, and I'm not sure who the father is. I never bothered to find out."

Christian still looked utterly shocked by this revelation - Ana knew this was sort of a difficult topic to discuss, which was why she rarely told this story to other people. Christian finally seemed to pull himself together a little more after a moment or two, and he shook his head, blinking.

"Wow. Ana, that's…" he stammered, confounded. "I-I'm so sorry you lost your friend at such a young age. That must have been really tough."

Ana nodded, grimacing sadly as she remembered everything that had happened only four short years ago. "Yeah, it was," she said quietly. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and unlocked the screen, holding it out for Christian to see. "That was me and Hannah when we were eighteen," she explained as Christian looked at her wallpaper. "We had gone to the Washington State Fair that year - it was the first time for both of us, and we had so much fun."

Christian smiled lightly, "You guys look really happy."

Ana brought her phone back and smiled at the familiar picture of her and Hannah sitting at a picnic table, wearing sunglasses and tank tops as they smiled brightly at the camera. Hannah's blonde shoulder-length hair glinted in the bright sunshine.

"This was taken a few months before Hannah found out she was pregnant with Ted," Ana said, still staring down at the picture. Her smile faded. "Hannah's home life was kind of a mess… her dad had run off when she was just a little girl, and her mom would constantly drink herself into oblivion. Hannah ended up staying at my house most nights since she couldn't handle being around her mom too much. I could kind of understand, since my own mother had left me and my dad when I was little. However, after awhile, Hannah, Ray, and I kind of became our own little family."

Ana set her phone down on the table and gazed out toward the lake. Christian didn't say anything, though Ana could tell he was listening intently. She went on:

"Once we were in high school, Hannah kind of let herself go a bit. She started drinking and partying every night, not to mention she would sleep with any and every guy who paid attention to her. She was very rebellious, and a lot of it came from deep-set insecurities, I think. Even though my dad and I tried our hardest to get her to stop messing around, she wouldn't… not until our senior year of high school, when she found out she was pregnant."

Ana paused for a moment, setting her mug of coffee back down on the table. "Learning about the baby had completely changed Hannah's life. She did a complete one-eighty from the life she had been living - she immediately stopped drinking and partying, and she started to put all her focus into creating a better life for herself and her unborn child. She graduated high school with decent enough grades, and quickly got a waitressing job at the local diner. Once she had some money saved up, she finally moved out of her mother's house and came to stay with me and my dad until she could afford her own place. Ray and I helped her pick out everything she needed for when the baby came, and after nine months she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy."

Ana couldn't help but smile at the memory of Ted's birth. "I'd never seen Hannah so happy as when she first held baby Ted in her arms. It was so beautiful, and she promised him right then and there that she would do everything in her power to create a happy life for the two of them. And in the months that followed, she kept that promise.

"In addition to taking care of Ted and waitressing part-time, Hannah started applying for jobs in Seattle. There were obviously a lot more job opportunities in the city, but I think Hannah felt that if she could snag a decent-paying job there, everything would be okay for her and Ted. My dad and I did everything we could to help her out financially, but I think she felt like she and Ted were a burden to us, and she wanted a new job so she could start supporting her son without our assistance. It was pretty tough for her though, since she never went to college and had virtually no work experience."

Ana stared out toward the lake, feeling her heart ache in her chest as she thought about her friend. "One day, Hannah got an interview for an administrative assistant job at some Seattle investment firm, and she was so excited about it. She felt that this job was her ticket to a better life, and she had worked so hard for it. However, at this point she had become completely burnt out - she had spent months and months searching for a new job, working at the diner, and taking care of her baby. She hardly slept at all, and since her interview was in Seattle, my dad and I tried to encourage her to stay the night at a hotel after her interview to rest up before coming home to Easton the next morning."

Ana swallowed, feeling herself tear up slightly. "She didn't take our advice. She felt confident that she could just drive to Seattle in the afternoon, do the interview, and make the trip back to Easton at nightfall. She got to Seattle and did the interview, but on the drive back…" Ana hesitated, feeling a lone tear slip down her cheek as she fought back her emotions. "… on the drive back, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep at the wheel. Her car veered of the highway and crashed into a tree, killing her instantly. No one found her until the next day, when my dad and I called the police after she didn't come home."

Ana sniffled again, hoping she wouldn't break down crying. Christian silently reached over and took Ana's hand in his own, comforting her, and Ana felt grateful for his presence as she gently squeezed his hand back.

"Ana, I don't know what to say," he said quietly after a few silent minutes. "That's terrible… I'm so sorry."

"She had been on a path of destruction for so long," Ana went on, emotion clouding her voice. "But after she had Ted, she was finally starting to turn her life around… and then this happened. It wasn't fair."

Ana sniffled again, and she blinked away a few more tears from her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Christian said nothing, though he continued to hold Ana's hand in his silent comforting gesture.

"The news of what happened immediately spread all over town," Ana went on after a few moments, when she had a grasp on her emotions. "It was all anyone could talk about for months - since Easton is such a small town, everyone knew who Hannah was and that she had left behind a newborn son with no one to take care of him. Hannah's own mother had actually left town at this point, not wanting anything to do with her daughter or grandson. I don't think she even went to Hannah's funeral and vigil, which everybody else in town had turned up for.

"With no father in the picture, a lot of offers came in from people in town to adopt Ted," Ana went on, smiling tremulously. "But since I was Ted's godmother, Hannah wanted me to be his legal guardian if something ever happened to her. After she died, I agreed to take up the responsibility of raising Ted, and I adopted him when he was only seven months old. I was twenty at the time."

There was a short silence after she finished. "Wow," Christian said quietly, and he shook his head. "That's an incredible thing you did for your friend, Ana. Does Ted know about any of this?"

"Sort of," Ana said. "He doesn't know the details of how his mom died, but he knows that he was adopted. My dad explained to him that his first mommy had to go to heaven, which was why God sent me to him as his new mommy. Ted's happy with that explanation, though I know when he gets older I'll probably have to tell him the whole story of what really happened."

"Well, I'm sure he would be very proud to learn what his mother did for him," Christian said sincerely. "And I know he would be extremely grateful for everything you and Ray have done for him over the years too."

Ana couldn't help but smile. "I hope Ted will understand that adopting him wasn't an obligation on my part - I love him as much as I would if he were my own child. Raising him has changed me in so many ways, and I know that, as a mother, I will do everything in my power to honor Hannah's wishes by giving Ted the happy life she wanted for him. It's the least I can do."

There was another short silence between them, and Ana let her thoughts drift as she gazed out toward the lake. Christian still held her hand in his own, and after a few moments he slowly released her fingers and brought his hand back to his lap.

"I was adopted too, you know," he said after a moment, and Ana looked over at him in surprise. "All my siblings and I were adopted by the Grey's. The woman who gave birth to me…" Christian paused. "Well, let's just say she was ill-suited to be a parent, and she died when I was only four years old. That's when Grace and Carrick Grey adopted me into the family, and I can say with absolute confidence that I would not be the person I am today if not for them."

Christian looked over at Ana, and she looked back at him. She saw the sincerity in his gray eyes as he smiled at her. "What you're doing for Ted is extremely admirable, and I know that he will appreciate you just as much as I appreciate my own parents."

Ana smiled slightly, feeling oddly touched that Christian chose to share that part of his life with her. "Thank you, Christian."

Hearing him talk about his own experiences made Ana feel better about sharing her own, and it was with a profound feeling of peace as she turned her gaze out toward Lake Easton, absorbing the beauty of the nature around her.

* * *

 **A/N: So were any of you expecting that? Be honest lol**

 **Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Christian gets an interesting phone call from Seattle.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think :)**


	8. Back to Seattle

**A/N: I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! Hope you enjoy this next one :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Back to Seattle**

At around noon, Ana headed back to her house to meet up with Ray and Ted, and although Christian asked her to stay with him and Taylor for lunch, she politely declined. The two of them had had a rather deep conversation that morning, where Ana divulged where Ted had really come from and the circumstances that led to his adoption, and Christian suspected she wanted a small reprieve to collect her thoughts a bit. He understood, but he sincerely hoped she wouldn't start acting weird around him now. The two of them had connected on a deeper level after sharing their life experiences with each other, and Christian liked to think they knew each other better now than they did from only a few days ago.

Christian continued to work on GEH stuff for the rest of the day, waiting for Ros to call him back about that meeting she had with Robert Crenshaw. She finally called him around five o'clock that afternoon, and unfortunately she didn't bring good news:

"…He's insisting upon meeting you in person, Christian," she grumbled agitatedly. "That asshole didn't think I had the authority to sign off on his acquisition, even though I assured him you and I were both equally qualified to do so. He was really insistent upon getting approval from _you_ , though, and so I'm starting to worry that we're going to lose his account if we don't comply."

Christian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You think I'm going to need to be back in Seattle tomorrow to meet with him?"

"I'm afraid so," Ros said apologetically. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you like this, Christian. If you want, we can try to arrange a phone call or teleconference with him instead…"

"No, that's alright. I can be back in Seattle just for the day," Christian conceded. "That way the both of us can meet with Crenshaw, and I can personally berate him for treating my CFO like garbage when I'm away."

"I knew there was a reason I liked working for you," Ros said, and Christian could practically hear her smiling through the phone. "I appreciate it, Christian."

"Don't mention it," Christian said, smiling as well. "It's probably not a bad idea for me to swing back home and take care of a few things before coming back to Easton. There's only so much I can get done for GEH here."

"That's true. So how's the construction going?" Ros asked curiously. "Any issues so far?"

"None at all, actually - it's been going much better than I originally anticipated," Christian said truthfully. "The mayor of Easton appointed a local to help oversee the construction, and she's been doing a great job keeping everything on track. She reminds me a bit of you, actually."

"Oh, may God have mercy on you," Ros laughed, and Christian chuckled. "So with this local girl overseeing everything, you're okay coming back to Seattle for a day or two?"

"Definitely. I'll have a word with her and the crew to let them know what's going on, but I doubt it'll be a problem. I'll meet you and Crenshaw at GEH tomorrow morning to hash out specifics."

"Great - I really appreciate you doing this Christian," Ros said gratefully. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure thing. Bye Ros."

Christian hung up the phone just as Taylor came into the room. "Good news Taylor - it looks like you and I are heading back to Seattle tomorrow. Ros needs help dealing with something, and we should be back in Easton by Tuesday afternoon."

"Sounds good, sir," Taylor nodded, a hint of a smile on his face. "Good timing too, since Gail told me she'd be happy to stay with us in Easton for the remainder of our time here. We can just bring her back with us when we drive to Easton on Tuesday."

"Great," Christian smiled. "I'm just going to head over next door to let Ana know - I'm sure she'll be okay with overseeing the construction herself for the next day and a half. Do you mind calling the mayor and letting him know too?"

"Of course."

Christian slipped on his shoes and grabbed the rental home keys before heading out the front door toward Ana's house. He walked up the front porch and rang the doorbell.

He waited for about ten seconds before the door opened, revealing Ana on the threshold wearing flannel and jeans while holding Ted on her hip. The smell of roasted chicken and marinara sauce met Christian's nose, and he realized they were probably in the middle of making dinner.

"Christian," Ana greeted him, blushing slightly. Christian realized that she was probably thinking about that heavy conversation they had this morning, and perhaps felt a bit ill-prepared to see him again so soon. Christian suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

"Hi," he smiled tremulously, and then cleared his throat. "Um… I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you. Do you mind if we talk?"

"Oh, sure," Ana said, smiling as she hoisted Ted up higher on her hip and stepped aside. "Please come in."

"Thanks," Christian walked into the house, and immediately noticed it had a beautiful rustic-looking interior. Toys and blankets were strewn around the living room, making it look very homey and lived-in, and Christian couldn't help but smile as he gazed around.

"Pardon the mess," Ana muttered embarrassedly, clearly a bit nervous to have him in her home.

"Oh please, don't worry about it," Christian said, smiling at her. "You have a lovely home, but I'll be out of your hair in a minute - I can see you're about to eat dinner."

"Hi Christian," Ray appeared around the corner from the kitchen, his shirtsleeves rolled up to the elbows and a wooden spatula in his hand. "You staying for dinner?"

"No, I can't - but thank you though," Christian smiled at him before turning back to Ana. "I just wanted to let you know that I found out I have to be back in Seattle to deal with something at GEH, so I won't be at the construction site tomorrow. Would you be okay overseeing everything by yourself for a day?"

"Oh," Ana looked a bit surprised. "Yeah, of course I can oversee the construction by myself. Thanks for letting me know about the change in plans."

"I think Andy has everything planned out for tomorrow, so I doubt there's much you have to do," Christian went on. "But if you run into any issues feel free to call me and ask."

"Will do," Ana nodded, smiling at him, and Christian smiled back.

"Christian, are you heading back to Seattle tonight?" Ray stepped out of the kitchen and walked toward him, brushing his hands clean.

"No, we're going early tomorrow morning. Why?" Christian said, looking curiously at him.

"I want you to come out with me tonight," Ray said firmly, pointing a finger at him. "Some of the guys in town are meeting up for a beer at the local bar, and you've been here for nearly a week. I want you to come meet everybody, and I won't take no for an answer."

"Oh," Christian said, surprised and flattered Ray wanted to go to the bar with him. "Thanks Ray, I'd love to come for a drink."

"Go easy on him, Dad," Ana chastised her father with a smile.

Ray laughed. "He'll be fine Annie. We're just going to have a couple drinks with the guys."

"Are you coming?" Christian asked Ana, and she shook her head.

"I'm going to stay home with Ted," Ana smiled apologetically, glancing over at her son who she was still carrying in her arms. Christian couldn't help but briefly feel envious of a four-year-old kid.

"We're all meeting up around eight o'clock at the bar on Main Street called _Angler's Head_ ," Ray said to Christian. "You'll be there?"

"Sure," Christian nodded before smiling. "Thanks Ray."

"See you then," Ray nodded before turning around and heading back into the kitchen, probably to go finish dinner.

"Sorry, my dad can be a little pushy sometimes," Ana whispered apologetically to Christian once he was out of earshot.

"It's alright - a night out at the bar sounds like fun," Christian grinned at her. "I should probably head back to my place though. There's some work I need to get done before I start packing for my trip."

"Of course," Ana smiled understandingly.

Christian turned to Ted, who was gazing up at Christian with large green eyes. Christian thought it was a bit odd seeing Ted now, knowing that he wasn't Ana's biological son, and upon closer inspection Christian could distinctly tell his facial structure and eye shape were definitely different from Ana's. However, Christian knew that those differences didn't detract from the love Ted and Ana had for each other, and it made Ted's sweet child-like innocence even more endearing.

"See you later, Ted," Christian smiled at the little boy. "Take care of your mommy, alright?"

Ted smiled widely, and nodded enthusiastically. Both Ana and Christian chuckled.

"Alright. Bye Ana," Christian said, turning toward the door.

"Bye Christian. Have a safe trip," Ana said after him.

"Thanks," Christian waved before stepping back onto the porch and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Christian finished up some more work for GEH before Taylor picked up a couple sandwiches from the local deli for their dinner. The sandwiches were pretty good, but Christian found himself seriously missing Gail's home-cooked meals, and he looked forward to when they could bring her with them back to Easton on Tuesday.

At around eight o'clock, Christian and Taylor headed out to the local bar Ray invited him to, the _Angler's Head_. The place was pretty much what Christian expected - a small hunting bar for all blue collar workers of Easton. The place was dimly lit, and had multiple deer heads mounted on the walls; Ray and several of his buddies were already sitting at the bar when Christian and Taylor arrived, and they all welcomed the two of them with raised beer glasses and cheerful grins.

Christian wasn't sure what to expect when going out tonight, but he had a surprisingly good time hanging out with Ray, Taylor, and all the other guys from town. Initially, some of them were a bit wary of Christian since he was the rich, out-of-town businessman building on their land; however, once he bought a round for everyone in the bar, they all seemed to take to him much more warmly. Most of them ended up sitting together around a table exchanging stories about their lives and work, and Christian found he had a lot in common with these men, whom at first he considered to be of a completely different world. It had been a long time since Christian had done anything like this, and tonight was turning out to be surprisingly fun.

While most of the men in the bar were around Ray's age, the bartender was actually a much younger man - his name was Paul Clayton, and he was apparently Greg Clayton's son. He was a ruggedly handsome dude with sandy blonde hair, and he mentioned several times over the course of the evening that he was close friends with Ana. Christian instantly disliked him, and would be sure to keep an eye on him in the coming weeks.

Christian and Taylor headed back to the house after last call, and once they were home went straight to bed. They only got a few hours of sleep before they had to get up bright and early, and Christian unfortunately felt a bit hungover from all the drinks he had last night. Still, he and Taylor packed up the SUV and hit the road at around six o'clock, hoping to reach Seattle by nine.

While Taylor drove, Christian decided to text Leila and let her know he was going to be in town for the day, suggesting she stop by his penthouse around seven o'clock tonight for an impromptu playroom session. He figured he shouldn't let his one evening in the city go to waste, but as soon as he sent that text to her he felt a bit guilty. It was stupid really, but he couldn't help but think about Ana, and a large part of him wished he could spend the day with her and Ted back in Easton. It was a fleeting thought, but Christian quickly pushed it out of his mind, knowing that a relationship with Ana wouldn't satisfy his needs the same way his playroom sessions with Leila could.

Sex and relationships had to be kept separate. That's just the way it had to be for Christian, and no exceptions could be made.

* * *

 **~Later that night~**

Christian stood in the great room of Escala as he poured himself two fingers of whiskey, tugging off his silver gray tie with his other hand as he did so. It had been a long day at GEH, dealing with Crenshaw and about fifty other things that had cropped up unexpectedly, and he was completely exhausted as a result. He looked forward to this time when he could finally come home and take a load off.

Checking his watch, Christian felt his heart sink into his stomach as he realized Leila would be coming over in about five minutes. He thought that after being back in Seattle for a day he would feel eager to get a playroom session in, but honestly it just felt weird being back. Easton was such a stark contrast to his life here in Seattle, and even though all week he had felt like a visitor in Easton, being back here in Seattle didn't feel like the big homecoming he had initially thought it would be.

Christian took a sip of whiskey, and immediately thought back to his night out drinking with Ray and the other guys in town last night. He couldn't help but smirk slightly to himself.

The elevators suddenly dinged, and Christian looked up to see Leila step out of the foyer and into the great room, her high heels clicking on the marble floors as she walked toward him. She looked just as beautiful as when Christian had last seen her, with her auburn hair in soft curls around her shoulders, her lithe body covered in a slinky black dress, and her makeup done in a sultry smokey eye. Her gaze met Christian's, and she gave him a coquettish grin.

"Good evening, Sir," she said sweetly, coming to a stop a few yards away from him. She clasped her hands politely in front of her. "Welcome back."

Christian gazed at her for a moment or two before blinking. "Good evening Leila. Would you like a drink?"

"Thank you Sir."

Christian poured two fingers of whiskey into a second crystal glass before handing it over to Leila, and she clasped it in her manicured fingers. She then lifted the glass to her dark red painted lips and took a slow sip.

That small move would have normally gotten Christian immediately aroused, but for some reason he felt absolutely nothing. Was something wrong with him tonight?

"I was happy to get your text this morning, Sir," Leila went on, smiling lightly up at Christian. "I've missed our playroom sessions."

Christian said nothing, realizing he hadn't missed his and Leila's playroom sessions at all during his time away. His thoughts had been consumed by someone else the entire time - a beautiful young woman with clear blue eyes and a gorgeous smile. He suddenly felt wracked with guilt that he had another woman here right now.

He shouldn't have brought Leila here. This was all wrong.

"I'm sorry, Leila," Christian said after a moment or two of silence, shaking his head. He glanced away. "This was a mistake."

Leila didn't say anything for a moment. "...What?" she asked.

"I shouldn't have invited you here," Christian said, finally looking up at her. "I don't think we can continue with our contract anymore. I'm sorry for getting your hopes up."

Leila blinked a few times, her beautiful face falling into a devastated expression. "N-No, I…!" she sputtered, taken aback, before seeming to compose herself briefly. "I don't understand Sir… you invited me to come here tonight! Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Christian shook his head. "I'm sorry Leila, but I already said that this was a mistake. I can't do this, I…" he hesitated before shaking his head again, glancing down at his feet. "There's somebody else," he muttered honestly.

There was a short awkward silence where neither of them said anything, and for Christian it seemed to stretch out for an eternity. Finally, Leila let out a small scoff before turning around and setting her glass of whiskey down on a nearby end table with a loud clunk. With her high heels clicking on the marble floors, she swiftly walked back toward the elevators, not looking back.

Christian simply watched her go, wondering if he was making a completely idiotic mistake.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading - hope you enjoyed that! :) Next chapter, Christian heads back to Easton.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	9. Easton Again

**A/N: Thank you all for reading! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Easton Again**

Ana felt a bit strange overseeing the construction site all by herself on Monday. She honestly wasn't sure if the men would take her seriously without Christian there with her, but she and the foreman Andy got along just fine, and the construction continued on with no interference. They had begun pouring the cement into the foundation they had dug out the day before, and had even began constructing a rough frame of the building itself. It was all finally starting to come together, and Ana hoped Christian would be pleasantly surprised once he came back to Easton on Tuesday.

Ana found herself thinking about Christian quite a bit as she worked all day Monday - it was strange, since she didn't really consider him a close friend or anything. She supposed she liked how good he was at his job, and his insight on certain matters regarding the construction was usually pretty intelligent. She remembered that conversation she had had with him yesterday morning though, and she blushed to herself - she didn't know what had prompted her to lay herself bare like that to him, but it was oddly cathartic nonetheless. She never really talked about Hannah much anymore, so bringing her up for the first time in such a long time felt like a relief in a way.

Tuesday morning rolled around, and Ana woke up bright and early to head over to the construction site once again. She knew Christian was supposed to be back sometime today, though she wasn't sure what time he was coming - despite that, she made the decision to bring Ted along with her to the construction site today. He seemed to really enjoy looking at all the big trucks the first time he came here here, and now there were even more trucks, bulldozers, and cranes for him to look at.

"Ready to see all the cool trucks and stuff again, Teddy?" Ana asked him, kneeling down in front of him as she fastened his small hard hat onto his head.

"Yeah!" Ted bounced up and down excitedly, his exuberance accidentally knocking Ana's hands away. She chuckled at him.

"Settle down, cutie pie," she grinned, getting to her feet and holding out her hand for him. "Let's get going."

Ana and Ted walked out of the house and toward the pickup truck together. Ray was finishing up a project in the carpentry shop right now, and Ana could hear the electric saw buzzing loudly from inside. He likely wouldn't be done until around noon, so it was a perfect opportunity for Ana to take Ted with her to the construction site and keep an eye on him for the next few hours.

Ana started up the truck and began the short drive down to the valley. As soon as they arrived, she immediately noticed some cars and trucks were already parked near the jobsite, and a familiar shiny black SUV was amongst them. Christian must have come back in Easton already, and Ana couldn't help but smile as she parked nearby.

Ana and Ted walked toward Christian's SUV, and she noticed the trunk was popped open while several construction guys were gathered around it. Christian stood nearby, and he glanced up and smiled widely when he saw Ana and Ted.

"Hi guys," he said brightly, striding toward them. "Good to see you."

Ana couldn't help but smile as well, blushing slightly. "It's good to see you too, but I thought you weren't going to be back until later today?"

"Yeah, I had a change in plans, so we ended up driving back here late last night," Christian explained. He looked a bit embarrassed as he said that, and Ana couldn't help wondering what had happened that made him come back early. She didn't say anything though.

"Hey Ted," Christian crouched down so he was eye-level with Ted, and smiled at him. "You excited to see the trucks again today?"

"Yeah!" Ted exclaimed happily, bouncing on his little feet.

"We won't stay for too long," Ana promised Christian. "We're just going to walk around the jobsite and look around for a bit. I'm hesitant to have Ted be around so much machinery."

"That makes sense, but we'll make sure both of you are completely safe," Christian smiled, standing up again. "By the way, Taylor and I picked up some donuts and coffee for the whole crew, so if you want anything it's right over there."

Ana glanced over toward the open trunk of Christian's SUV, and noticed the small card table set up with six or seven boxes of assorted donuts and multiple trays of to-go coffees. The crew was gathered around grabbing the food, and a pretty blonde woman was standing nearby and orchestrating everything, handing out plates and napkins to everybody who needed them.

"Ana, Ted - I'd like you to meet Gail Jones," Christian led Ana and Ted toward the blonde woman, who glanced over at them and smiled. "She's my housekeeper and Taylor's girlfriend - she's going to be staying here in Easton with us for the next few weeks. Gail, this is Ana and her son Ted."

"Hi Ana, it's a pleasure to meet you," Gail reached out and shook Ana's hand, smiling sweetly. Ana smiled back, immediately liking this woman.

"It's nice to meet you too," Ana said kindly, turning toward Ted who was holding her hand. "Ted, can you say hello?"

Ted smiled bashfully, stepping closer to his mom so he was practically clinging to her leg. "Hi."

The adults all chuckled at how cute he was being. "Hi Ted - it's very nice to meet you," Gail said sweetly to him.

Christian looked like he was about to say something when a green truck suddenly pulled up to the jobsite and parked near Ana's red pickup. Everyone watched the driver door open to reveal Greg Clayton, and a moment later the passenger side door opened revealing his son Paul.

Ana, while initially pleased to see Greg step out of the truck, felt her heart sink slightly upon seeing Paul with him. Paul was a nice enough guy, but whenever he was around her he would start relentlessly flirting with her, no matter if Ted was there or not. Several times it had gotten to the point where she would have to ask him to stop, but his response was always to just brush it off as a joke.

Ana chanced a glance in Christian's direction, and noticed his jaw was clenched tightly as he glared at Paul. Ana hadn't realized Christian knew Paul, but from the look on his face he apparently didn't like him very much.

"Ana - Christian," Greg greeted the two of them jovially as he and Paul approached. "Sorry to drop by so unexpectedly, but I just wanted to see how the construction was going out here."

"Hi Greg - everything's going great," Christian smiled, shaking the older man's hand. "All of it's right on schedule. The rest of the building's frame should be up by the end of the day today."

"Fantastic," Greg smiled widely. "Glad to hear everything's going well. I believe you've already met my son, Paul?"

"I have," Christian nodded tightly, and he held out his hand for Paul to shake. "Good to see you again, Paul."

"You too Christian," Paul nodded, shaking his hand. "I thought you were heading back to Seattle a couple days ago?"

"I had just gone for the day," Christian explained, voice noticeably clipped. "I came back to Easton last night, and I'm going to be back here for awhile."

"Oh," Paul nodded, and he then turned away from Christian to smile charmingly at Ana. "Hey Ana - hey Ted."

"Hi Paul," Ana said simply. Paul looked as if he wanted to give her a hug hello, but she instead knelt down by Ted and picked him up in her arms, perching him on her hip.

Christian cleared his throat. "If you guys wanted something to eat while you're here, we brought donuts and coffee," he said, gesturing toward the card table near the SUV. "Or if you guys prefer, you can have a look around the jobsite and see what's been going on…"

"That sounds like a great idea," Greg turned to look at his son. "What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me," Paul nodded.

"Ana?" Christian turned to Ana, who looked over at her son in her arms.

"Ready to see all the cool trucks, Ted?"

"Yeah!" Ted exclaimed happily, smiling brightly. The adults all laughed.

"Alright then - let's go."

* * *

 **Christian**

Paul Motherfucking Clayton. It wasn't enough that Christian had to interact with this douchebag at the _Angler's Head_ the other day, but this asshole hadn't stopped staring at Ana since he arrived at the jobsite as if she were a fucking piece of meat. Could he not see that she was with her son? Ana understandably looked a bit uncomfortable by Paul's blatant staring, and Christian made sure to position himself right beside her and Ted as they began to walk around the construction site.

Greg asked Christian many questions as they walked along, mostly about which workers did what jobs, and the logistics of how everything worked on a day-to-day basis. Christian explained everything as well as he could, and Ana spoke up when necessary, exhibiting her thorough knowledge of everything that went on at the jobsite. Paul didn't say anything the whole time, lagging behind the others as they walked and talked. Christian glanced back at Paul every once in awhile, trying to keep the hard expression on his face from being too obvious.

"…Looks like you two have gotten quite a bit done over the past week - I'm very glad to see it," Greg complimented him and Ana once they had finishing making their way around the entire jobsite. He smiled. "When I first suggested Ana be the one to oversee the construction, I got the impression neither of you were very enthusiastic about working together. Is that still the case?"

"Absolutely not - Ana is a fantastic person to work with," Christian said sincerely, smiling over at her. She smiled shyly back. "Trust me, I would know - I've worked alongside all sorts of clueless idiots who think they know everything when in fact they know absolutely nothing. But Ana's a person who definitely knows what she's doing and is capable of anything she puts her mind to."

"You're going to make me blush," Ana giggled, her cheeks tinged pink as she smiled. "Christian is great to work with too, you know. He clearly understands the importance of being a good boss and how to motivate his workers so that they do a good job. If anyone had to build a new business in our town, I'm glad that it's him."

Christian couldn't help but smile at that surprisingly flattering compliment. He hadn't realized Ana thought so highly of his managing skills, but he was pleased nonetheless - the two of them smiled at each other.

"Well, I'm glad to see the two of you are getting along so well," Greg glanced between them with a smile. "Makes my job easier, at least."

The others chuckled, but Christian noticed that Paul hadn't joined in, the sour expression on his face apparent.

"Hey Dad, do you mind if we head back soon? I gotta open the bar," Paul said to his father, not looking at either Christian or Ana.

"Sure thing, Paul. It was great seeing you two again," Greg said to Ana and Christian, smiling at them. "Good luck with the rest of the construction. If any issues arise, please feel free to let me know."

Ana and Christian both agreed, and they shook hands with the two of them before they headed back to their truck. Christian watched them leave.

"Greg Clayton is pretty hands-on as a mayor," he noted, turning toward Ana. "You don't see that very often."

"I think he gets a little bored running such a small town," Ana giggled, hoisting Ted up higher on her hip. He had actually fallen asleep during their walk around the construction, and his head was now resting on his mother's shoulder, hard hat askew. "I didn't realize you knew his son Paul, though."

"He was tending the bar your dad took me to a couple nights ago," Christian explained. "He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he gave me the impression that you two were… well…" he trailed off, looking awkward.

"No, we're not together," Ana said firmly. "I've told him many times that I'm not interested in him in that way, but that doesn't stop him from trying to flirt with me every chance he gets. It gets pretty annoying, to be honest."

"That's not okay - does he harass you?" Christian looked appalled.

"No he doesn't, but only because he knows if he ever tried anything physical with me, I'd beat the crap out of him," Ana said, her tone of voice conveying her seriousness. Christian couldn't help but smile slightly. "He knows I can hold my own, and everyone in town knows the reason why I don't date, so Paul would do best to keep his distance."

This piqued Christian's curiosity. "You don't date? At all?"

Ana shook her head. "No I don't, mostly because of Ted. He's my first priority, and I don't want to bring any new men into my life who could potentially have a significant impact on his life too. If I did bring a man into my life someday, I'd want to be completely sure he was in for the long haul with both me and Ted, and I know that Paul is not that guy."

For some reason, Ana blushed as she spoke, but Christian couldn't help but smile at her. So it wasn't that she didn't want a man in her life, she just wanted to make sure her son was the priority if she did date someone. Considering how Christian's birth mother constantly brought strange men into their apartment when he was a little boy, Christian could honestly admire Ana's strength and love when it came to raising Ted.

It made him want to be the man she trusted enough to bring into her and Ted's lives for the long haul.

"Well, who knows? Maybe you'll find the right guy someday," Christian said to her sincerely, and Ana blushed before smiling back at him.

"Maybe," she agreed, glancing down at a sleeping Ted in her arms. She kissed him sweetly on the forehead.

"You can take him home right now if you'd like," Christian offered her. "There isn't much else to do on the construction site anymore, and you shouldn't have to carry him around like that for the rest of the morning."

"Thank you," Ana said gratefully, hoisting Ted up a bit higher on her hip. "I think I will do that. I'm starting to get a bit tired carrying him around everywhere like this."

Christian escorted Ana and Ted back to the truck, and he helped Ana strap a napping Ted into his carseat. Once he was secure, Ana turned to Christian and thanked him for his help. There was a certain look in her eye that Christian couldn't quite place, but after a moment she simply smiled at him before saying goodbye.

She got in her truck and drove off, and Christian watched her leave, already thinking about something special he wanted to do for both her and Ted at the end of the week.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next time, Christian, Ana, and Ted will get a chance to spend some more time together :)**

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	10. A Family Man

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: A Family Man**

The rest of the week at the construction site was extremely busy, but thankfully a majority of the building's foundation and structural frame had been finished at this point. Ana was only required to stay for a few hours every day to oversee whatever the construction guys were working on, she ended up sticking around for most of the day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, helping Christian and Andy navigate any problems that had arisen. Ana knew she didn't have to do it, but she was honestly happy to help, and on Friday Christian even complimented her on being a huge asset to this project. He told her he wanted to give her some sort of payment for her hard work, and Ana informed him that Greg Clayton was already compensating her for her work here.

"It would be a conflict of interest if you'd pay me yourself, Mr. Grey," Ana informed him with a grin, and Christian smiled. "I'm supposed to be here to keep you in check, remember?"

"Oh I remember," Christian said, a large smile on his handsome face. "Though I hardly think of you as the enemy, Ms. Steele. Honestly, I think the two of us make a pretty good team, wouldn't you say?"

Ana felt a bit surprised by his compliment, but couldn't help but agree with him. She smiled. "I think we do, actually. I can honestly say I didn't expect that to happen when I first met you."

Christian laughed. "I can believe it, but in my line of work I've learned to expect the unexpected. I never expected to meet someone like you, Ana, but I'm actually very glad that I did."

"I'm glad too," Ana said sincerely, smiling up at him. She felt her heart begin to race as his eyes met hers, and her cheeks flushed pink. She couldn't really deny that her feelings for Christian had definitely become very complicated at this point, and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She had told him she didn't date at all, and she wanted to stay true to what she said, but she knew it was going to be a challenge while she worked beside him every single day at the construction site. She was almost glad that this project was going to be ending in a few weeks.

"Mommy!"

Ana turned just in time to see her son come barrelling toward her from across the grass and run smack-dab into her, clutching her tightly around the legs. Christian and Ana both laughed.

"Hey sweetie pie," Ana said fondly, tousling his blonde hair. "Did you and Grandpa have fun fishing today?"

"Yeah! Gwanpa caught a towt!" Ted announced excitedly, bouncing up and down on his little feet.

"He caught a what?"

"A trout," Ray approached them, smiling down at his grandson. "And it actually was pretty big - bigger than I've caught in awhile. I think I'm going to ask my buddy Dan to mount it on the wall for me."

"Did you hear that, buddy? You're Grandpa's good luck charm!" Ana reached down to pick Ted up in her arms, and he giggled happily. "Can you say hi to Christian, Ted?"

"Hi Cwistian," Ted grinned brightly, waving at him, and Christian chuckled.

"Hi Ted. I'm glad you had fun with your grandpa today," he said with a bright grin, and Ted grinned too. Ana couldn't help but smile at the two of them.

"You guys ready to go home?" Ana turned to Ray, and he nodded.

"Yeah, we just got back from fishing to come pick you up," Ray said, turning back toward the truck parked on the side of the road. "Have a good weekend, Christian."

"You too, Ray," Christian said to him.

Ana gave Christian a small smile. "Bye Christian."

He smiled back at her. "Bye Ana."

Ana followed her dad back to the truck with Ted in her arms, feeling Christian's eyes on her as she walked away.

* * *

 **Saturday morning**

Ana was making coffee in the kitchen as Ted sat in front of the TV watching his Saturday morning cartoons, clutching his favorite stuffed panda in his arms. Ray was currently working in the carpentry shop next door - it was a gorgeous day out today, with the sky a beautiful clear blue while the sunlight bounced off the sparkling lake to create a shimmery effect. Ana hummed to herself as her coffee brewed.

Her cell phone began to ring, and she checked the caller ID to see it was Christian calling. "Hello?"

"Hi Ana. It's Christian."

"Hi Christian," Ana smiled. "Is everything alright? Is something going on with the construction today?"

"No, the construction is fine," Christian said quickly. "I'm sorry for calling you on a Saturday morning, but I was hoping to get some advice from you."

"Oh," Ana said, slightly surprised. "Okay. What's up?"

"I was wondering if _Jay's Diner_ was a good place to go to for breakfast?"

Ana grinned. _Jay's_ was Easton's most popular breakfast diner, and one of Ana's favorite places to go to in town. "Oh yeah, _Jay's_ is great! Are you thinking of going there this morning?"

"Yeah I am," Christian said. "So would you recommend it?"

"Oh, absolutely. Ted and I like to go there all the time - their food is amazing."

There was a brief pause on the other line. "…In that case, would you and Ted like to join me for breakfast at _Jay's_ this morning?"

Ana didn't say anything for a moment, briefly surprised by his offer. "Oh," she squeaked out. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean…" Christian cleared his throat, sounding almost nervous. "If you two weren't already doing something today, I thought it might be a fun thing to do with you guys. But if you didn't want to…"

"No!" Ana said quickly. "I mean yes, Ted and I would be happy to join you for breakfast at _Jay's_. I think we both would really enjoy it - thank you for thinking of us."

"Of course," Christian said, and Ana could hear him smiling. "Would you and Ted like to meet me at my house in half an hour?"

"Sure," Ana smiled. "See you then."

"See you then."

Ana hung up the phone before walking over to the living room where Ted was sitting. "Hey, Teddy - guess where we're going for breakfast this morning? _Jay's Diner_!"

"YAY!" Ted immediately jumped up from where he was sitting and bolted toward his mother, practically slamming into her waist as he hugged her tightly. Ana laughed at his enthusiasm.

"C'mon buddy, let's go get dressed. We're going to be leaving in a half an hour."

Ted quickly ran up toward his room, and Ana followed, smiling to herself as she went.

* * *

Ana, Christian, and Ted currently sat together at one of _Jay's_ signature red booths, perusing their menus as their waitress went to grab their drinks.

"I can't decide what to get - all this looks good," Christian said, his eyes scanning his entire menu. Ana thought he looked very ruggedly handsome today in blue jeans, a brown long sleeve t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a baseball cap.

"Really? 'Cause I thought all this greasy diner food would be too simple for your sophisticated Seattle palette," Ana teased him.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Christian asked, smirking at her.

"Never," Ana smirked right back. "But if you want a recommendation, I'd go with the corned beef hash skillet with eggs and toast - it's their best meal."

"Noted," Christian nodded.

"… Here we are," their waitress, Gabbie, arrived with a tray balancing two coffees and a glass of milk for Ted. "Have you decided on what you'd like to eat yet?"

"Yes. Teddy here would like the waffle with maple syrup," Ana smiled down at her son, and he bounced excitedly in his seat. The adults all chuckled. "And I'll have the corned beef skillet with eggs and toast."

"I'll have the same," Christian said, handing his menu back to Gabbie. She smiled before collecting all their menus and walking away.

"You know, this place is pretty nice," Christian noted, leaning his elbows on the Formica table and glancing around the diner. It was decently crowded this morning, but since Easton was so small it only ended up being about half-full. "I'm glad you recommended it."

"So if I said this place was horrible, you wouldn't have gone?" Ana asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Of course not," Christian said insistently. "I very much value your opinion, Ana. In all things."

Ana felt herself blush, but she couldn't help but smirk at him all the same. "I'm not sure if you're making fun of me or not, Christian, but I'll take the compliment anyway."

Christian chuckled, shaking his head. "Whatever you want, Ms. Steele."

The two of them fell into amicable silence for a few minutes afterward, and they watched Ted grab some of the crayons sitting in a cup nearby and begin coloring on his paper placemat. Christian suggested Ted draw a car, and Ted eagerly complied, drawing what appeared to be a square blob with four other circular blobs attached to it. Ana and Christian couldn't help but laugh as they watched him, occasionally smiling at each other as they did so.

Gabbie finally arrived with their food, and they all began to dig in. Christian groaned when he tasted the corned beef hash skillet.

"Oh my God - this is _amazing_ ," he moaned, his mouth full of the greasy breakfast dish. Ana smiled as she took her own bite.

"Told you," she said, chewing her delicious mouthful of potatoes, corned beef, eggs, peppers and onions. She then set her own fork down to help Ted cut into his waffle.

"Hey, so I was thinking…" Christian said as he chewed another mouthful of corned beef hash. "Since it's such a nice day out today, after breakfast did you guys want to go for a walk around Lake Easton?"

"Sounds like fun," Ana smiled, glancing down at Ted. "Wanna go for a walk with Christian, Ted?"

With his mouth full of syrupy waffle, Ted nodded enthusiastically, and Ana and Christian both chuckled.

"Sounds like a plan."

Ana and Christian continued to make pleasant small talk as they ate their breakfast, and Ted was relatively quiet as he chowed down on his waffle. Once the check came, Christian and Ana argued over who would pick it up, but Christian eventually won when he insisted he had invited them out for breakfast in the first place. Ana reluctantly complied, though promised she'd pay for the next meal they had together.

They left the diner in Christian's SUV and drove back to his rental house. Once there, they all made their way toward the lake's edge, beginning their walk around it - at this point in the day, a few clouds had appeared in the sky, protecting them from the sun's glare. Ana pointed out a few of the mountains and visible landmarks for Christian to see, and he listened attentively while Ted ran ahead of the adults to play with various rocks and sticks he found on the ground.

"Well Christian, I have to say that today's actually turning out to be a lot of fun," Ana smiled after a couple minutes of amicable silence. She and Christian meandered together several yards behind Ted, keeping an eye on him as they walked. "Why are you doing all this?"

"What do you mean?" Christian asked questioningly.

"Well, first you treated us to breakfast, and now you're taking us on a nice nature walk around the lake," Ana said, gesturing around them. "It's all very nice, but you don't have to do any of this for us. So why are you doing it?"

Christian was silent for a moment or two, as if contemplating his answer. "Because… I like you," he finally admitted, hesitating briefly as he spoke.

Ana didn't know what to say, and she felt momentarily stunned by his admission, her heart pounding in her chest. Did he just admit he had feelings for her? Ana felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she struggled to find the words to answer him. "Oh," she squeaked out.

"I'm sorry," Christian chuckled embarrassedly, scratching the back of his neck. "I understand you don't want to get involved with anyone because of Ted, and I respect your decision. But I just wanted you to know how much I enjoy spending time with both of you. I've never met anyone like you before, Ana - I think you're smart and funny and sweet, and extremely competent at everything you do. I can honestly understand why that Paul Clayton guy is practically falling over himself just to get near you."

Ana giggled, feeling embarrassed but also pleased by his compliment. "That's really sweet of you, Christian, but I'm not really sure how to respond to that."

"Don't worry about it," Christian said kindly. "Let's just enjoy our day out today, alright?"

Ana looked over at Christian, and saw he was smiling sincerely at her, a certain emotion in his gray eyes Ana was sure reflected her own. She couldn't deny having feelings for Christian as well, but for some reason couldn't bring herself to tell him. Was she afraid of what she felt for him? Or had it just been so long since she had been in this position with a guy before that she didn't know what to say?

"Mommy!"

Ana looked over to see Ted had found an acorn by one of the big trees, his little hands and forearms covered in dirt as he ran up to proudly display what he found. Ana and Christian both laughed, and asked if he had found anything else; Ted continued to run around the forested area finding other rocks and twigs to collect. Ana and Christian simply engaged him with his little game, neither of them bringing up what Christian had confessed to her earlier.

After about an hour or so, they had made it around the entire lake and were now back at Ana's house. More clouds had begun to appear at this point, and the sky was now overcast and gray, threatening to rain at any moment. Ana, Christian, and Ted all walked up to the house, and Ray opened the front door for them, smiling when he saw his grandson.

"Hey there, champ," he said as Ted rushed toward him. "Did you have fun today with Mommy and Christian?"

Ted didn't answer as he bolted past his grandpa and into the house, and the adults all chuckled incredulously.

"We did have fun," Ana said. "I'm going to walk Christian back to his place now though - I'll be back in a minute."

"Sure thing, sweetheart. See you Christian," Ray waved at them.

"Bye Ray," Christian waved back.

Ana and Christian walked together across the yard toward his rental house, neither of them saying a word - Ana wasn't really sure if there was anything to say at all at this point. Suddenly, however, Ana felt a few droplets of water hit her from above, and the next second rain began to pour from the sky, soaking them almost immediately. Ana raised her hands to her head, desperate to cover herself from the downpour.

"C'mon," Christian quickly grabbed one of her hands and pulled her across the yard toward his house. Instead of going inside, however, he pulled her toward the back, where there was an awning covering most of the wooden deck. Soon, they were underneath the awning and out of the rain.

"Whew," Ana panted once they stopped, and she gazed out toward the lake. "Glad it didn't start raining during our walk. Looks like we just missed it."

Christian didn't say anything, and Ana looked over to see he was standing beside her, gazing down at her with an unreadable expression on his face. His copper red hair was dark and wet from the rain, and his gray eyes met hers with an intense expression Ana had never seen in him before.

It made her heart race.

Without thinking, Ana leaned up and kissed him right on the lips. She didn't know what had prompted her to do it, but it felt right for some reason; Christian immediately kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close. Ana instinctively reached up to tangle her fingers in his wet hair, and their tongues began to tangle in a sensuous dance as they explored each other's mouths. It was heavenly, and Ana couldn't remember anyone's lips ever feeling this amazing.

She knew she had to get back Ted and her dad soon, but for one blissful moment, Ana could allow herself get lost in Christian and this amazing, all-consuming kiss.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, I hope you all enjoyed that! :) Next chapter, we'll get to see the aftermath.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	11. The Visitor

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: The Visitor**

 **Sunday**

Christian got tied up with GEH stuff for all of Sunday, forcing him to stay inside his makeshift office at the rental home all day. Over a hundred emails had piled up in his inbox over the weekend, and it took him the entire morning just to sort through them all before he had to teleconference Ros and a few other execs on an update for their new Japanese shipyard. It was all tedious and mind-numbing work, but there was one thing that helped get him through this arduous day.

Christian was busy writing up an email to Ros when his cell phone buzzed with an incoming text message. He grinned to himself as he turned his attention to his phone, knowing it was Ana - the two of them had been texting back and forth since Saturday, and Christian doubted he had ever felt happier to be texting a girl.

The two of them had kissed yesterday, and although Christian wasn't able to spend any time with her today, just the thought of her made him feel as if his entire world had stopped in its tracks. He couldn't deny that he had become completely enraptured by Ana Steele, and he would be content to spend every waking minute with her, whether it was kissing her in the rain or just having a conversation with her via text. Unfortunately, the latter was the only method they were able to have today since he was so swamped with work.

 **A: Hey, how's work going?**

 **C: Boring :( I'd rather spend the day with you and Ted again**

 **A: I think Ted would agree - he's been pouting all day. I think he misses you lol**

 **C: Tell him I miss him too… and his mother of course ;)**

 **A: Such a sweet talker Mr. Grey ;)**

Christian smiled at their little text exchange. It had been like this all day - sweet, innocent texts that were mildly flirtatious, but didn't cross that line into "relationship" intimacy. Honestly, Christian didn't know where he and Ana stood with one another, or if she even wanted a relationship with him, but the fact that she was texting him like this and wasn't completely scared off yet was a good sign.

Christian didn't yet know what he wanted with Ana, but he knew he didn't want a BDSM relationship with her. While he seriously doubted she would be okay with being bound and whipped like a submissive, at the same time Christian knew that being a submissive just wasn't in her nature. That was one of the reasons why he liked her so much - she was incredibly strong and intelligent and independent, and yet her heart was so open and loving toward the people she cared about. She was so beautiful inside and out, and Christian knew he would never, ever want to stop her from being herself.

And if the way into her heart was to take things slow, then that's what he'll do. He was excited to try something with a woman he'd never done before.

Just as he was contemplating what to text to Ana next, his phone began to ring with an incoming call - it was Elliot, and Christian quickly answered:

"Hello?"

"Hey bro - how're things in the mountain town?" Elliot asked jokingly.

"Pretty good, actually," Christian said, smiling slightly. "You back from Chicago yet?"

"Flight just got in, so I'm going to be heading home right now," Elliot said, and Christian could hear the faint sounds of SeaTac Airport in the background. "It's been a really tiring trip, so I actually think I'm going to take the day off on Monday to rest up a little bit. I can head down to Easton on Tuesday to meet up with you at the construction site if you want."

"Sure," Christian agreed. "I know how exhausting long business trips can be - take all the time you need to rest up."

There was a brief pause on the other line. "Jeez dude, is the mountain air doing something to your brain? When have you ever been this nice to me?"

Christian smiled, knowing the true reason for his good mood. "You're complaining about me being nice?"

"No, I'll take a nice Christian. It's just weird to hear, that's all."

"Maybe it is the mountain air - I've been having a pretty good time here in Easton, and the people here are really nice. A few of the guys here in town actually invited me to have a beer with them at the local bar. I think you'd like some of them."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?"

Christian laughed. "I'm still here, I promise. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Sure - you can give me an update on the construction and fill me in on whatever's making you so damn happy."

"Will do. Bye Elliot."

"Bye Christian."

Christian hung up the phone, still smiling to himself as he went back to texting Ana, his work sitting forgotten on his computer.

* * *

 **Monday morning**

Christian and Taylor arrived at the jobsite around nine o'clock Monday morning, and Andy and the rest of the crew were already starting work for the day. Christian immediately began scanning the area before seeing Ana standing about fifty yards away looking over some blueprints with another construction worker. She wore her usual skinny jeans and simple gray t-shirt, her chestnut hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Christian's heart hammered as he walked over to them.

"…The crane should be brought over to the west end," Ana was saying to the construction worker, pointing to the far end of the jobsite. "You'll have easier access to install the roof."

"But coming in from the north end might be better to block the sun since that angle won't impair vision," the guy argued back.

"In case you haven't noticed, the mountains over there are pretty tall," Ana said, an amused smile on her face as she pointed to the Cascade Mountains to the east. "Trust me, the sun isn't going to be bothering us until at least eleven-thirty."

The construction worker laughed. "I suppose you're right."

The guy soon walked away with his blueprints, and Christian finally made his presence known.

"Doing all the managing without me, huh Ana?"

Ana turned and saw Christian standing there. She smiled at him, and Christian was pleased to see a cute blush coat her cheeks. "Guilty."

"Remind me again never to leave you here by yourself at the construction site," Christian teased.

"Excuse me, Mr. Grey, but you're not the one who has experience working with tools and tooling equipment," Ana countered, crossing her arms and smirking at him. "Just because you own a fancy business in the city doesn't mean you know everything."

"Oh, and knowing what a hammer can do is the same as managing a crew of construction workers?" Christian asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Ana let out an incredulous scoff.

"You're pretty snarky this morning, Mr. Grey," she shot back at him. "Rough weekend?"

"Actually, no - on Saturday I got to kiss a beautiful young woman who I've been thinking about since the day I met her. Sunday was pretty dull by comparison."

Ana blushed once again, though she smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah," Christian smiled, taking a step closer to her. He desperately wanted to touch her in some way, but knew that there were too many people around them. "I think I'd like to kiss her again sometime soon, actually."

Ana smiled up at him. "I think she'd like that."

The way she was looking at him right now, Christian knew he could just lean forward and kiss her right here in the middle of the jobsite. He might have too, but before he could act upon it, the sound of a car accelerating down the highway nearby interrupted the moment.

Christian and Ana both turned toward the sound, and they saw a lone car speeding down the road toward them. From his distance, Christian couldn't really make out what kind of car it was, but as it drove closer, it began to slow down, and Christian suddenly recognized it:

A red Audi A3.

 _Oh no_ … Christian immediately paled when he realized who was driving the car. How the hell did she find this place? He and Ana watched it slow to a stop on the side of the road near his SUV, and the driver opened the door before stepping out.

Leila looked more dressed down than Christian had ever seen her, wearing a pair of white skinny jeans, a blazer, and her auburn hair in relaxed curls around her shoulders. Her face was makeup-free as she gazed around the area, her eyes soon landing on Christian, and she smiled. It was a wide happy smile, hopeful almost, as if they were lovers reuniting after months apart.

Christian felt sick to his stomach when he saw her, and on instinct he turned to Ana, who was gazing curiously at Leila. "Ana, I'm so sorry about this," he said earnestly

"About what?" she asked him, a frown on her face.

Christian didn't answer her as he turned and walked swiftly toward Leila, determined to get her to leave before she caused any problems.

"Leila, what the hell are you doing here?" Christian asked, his jaw tense as he glared at her. "You need to go."

"I came to see you," Leila said, still gazing up at him with that wide, loving smile on her face. "I finally figured it out… you don't have to run away from me anymore, Sir. Everything will be alright. We can be together!"

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Christian hissed, grasping her arm and preparing to drag her back to her car.

"What you said to me back at Escala," Leila said insistently, smiling as if she had solved all the problems in the world. "You said that we couldn't continue our arrangement anymore, but I understand now - you were just trying to protect yourself. You only said that because you couldn't admit to yourself that you've developed feelings for me!"

Christian stared at her incredulously. He was sure everyone around them could hear what she was saying, and he had no idea what to do. "What?" he hissed incredulously. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're saying I have feelings for you?"

"You don't have to hide from me anymore, Sir," Leila insisted, her expression full of love as she gazed into his eyes. Christian felt like he was about to throw up. "For a long time I sensed that you were becoming bored with the lifestyle, but I never understood why. Now I know… you didn't want to admit to yourself that you wanted more out of our relationship, and you let me go because you didn't think I felt the same way. But I do - I _do_ feel the same way, Sir! We don't have to hide anymore!"

Leila was still smiling at him, and Christian could only stare at her dumbly - she seriously thought him rejecting her was a declaration of love? This girl was certifiably insane. "Leila, you are completely wrong about this. Let me make myself perfectly clear - I do not want a relationship with you. I ended our arrangement because I didn't want to be with you anymore, and I still don't. I told you that there was somebody else, and that was the truth."

Finally Leila's smile began to falter, looking almost confused. "But… but that doesn't make sense. You were here at this construction site the whole time you were gone, weren't you? How could there be somebody else?"

Christian heard a sound from behind him, and he turned to see Ana walking away toward where her red pickup truck was parked. He felt his heart sink down to his stomach, and without thinking he hurried after her.

"Ana!"

Ana didn't turn around, and Christian ran ahead of her so he blocked her path. "Ana, please. I can explain…"

"You don't have to explain to me, Christian," Ana said in a flat voice, stepping around him to continue on toward her truck. "It's your own life - you can do whatever you want with it."

"Please, Ana she's… we're not together…" he stumbled over his words, trying and failing to make sense of this situation.

"Well, it looks like she didn't get the memo," Ana muttered angrily, finally reaching her truck. Before she could grab the door handle, however, Christian grasped her arm, stopping her.

"Ana, please don't go," he said quietly, pleading with her. "I don't know what Leila's doing here, but just let me get rid of her and then we can talk. Okay? Please?"

Ana looked at him, her expression still unreadable, before she let out a small sigh. "Alright, Christian. Go get rid of her, do whatever you need to do, but I just can't be here right now. We can talk later, but I have to go - I'm sorry."

Before Christian could stop her, she tugged her arm out of his grasp and opened her car door. Christian watched as she got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and drive away toward her house.

* * *

 **Ana**

Ana pulled into her driveway, noticing her father and Ted watching TV together through the living room window. Not wanting to go inside just yet, she got out of the truck and walked around the house toward the backyard, where Lake Easton glimmered in the summer sun. She walked right up to the fence near the edge of the lake and gazed out toward the water.

It was stupid at how upset she felt about that girl showing up. Christian's ex, or whoever she was, clearly wasn't over him yet and hoped to rekindle whatever they had together… it made Ana feel sick to her stomach. She couldn't help but notice how pretty Leila was - she was definitely the type of girl Ana could see Christian dating back in Seattle. Maybe that was what made Ana feel so insecure about herself, being reminded that she was just some small town girl with a four-year-old son and not having any dating experience since high school.

Though she and Christian had kissed on Saturday, neither of them had really defined their relationship yet. They weren't dating, but neither of them could deny there was something between them… was all that going to go away now? What was it that she and Christian had together? Ana stood leaning against the fence for a while, staring out into the water while lost in her thoughts…

"I know it was you."

Ana quickly turned around, shocked to see the Leila girl standing in the middle of her backyard. There was smudged mascara underneath her eyes, and no trace of that loving smile she was giving Christian earlier. Instead, her expression was filled with hatred as she glared at Ana.

"What the hell are you doing here? Get off my property!" Ana snapped angrily.

"I loved him, you know," Leila insisted, ignoring her. "I thought he and I were perfect for each other, but then one day out of the blue he tells me he has feelings for someone else and he can't be with me anymore. Can you believe that? What kind of person does that?!"

Her voice had risen in anger, and Ana took a step toward her, preparing to physically remove Leila if she had to. "Get off my property Leila. I mean it."

"Look at you," Leila gestured to Ana, a distasteful expression on her face as she gave her a once over. "I bet you're not even in the lifestyle, are you?"

Ana blinked, confused for a second. "The lifestyle?"

"Yeah. BDSM," Leila explained. "I was Mr. Grey's submissive. He and I had a contract where we would have sessions on the weekend, but apparently he was getting some on the side from you the entire time. Asshole."

Ana felt as if she were going to throw up. "He… contracted you for sex?"

Leila's eyes filled with vitriol. "Yeah, he did. And before me there was another girl, and before her another, and another. There have been _dozens_ of us… but I thought I was actually different to him. I guess we were both fooled."

Leila swiped at her eye, rubbing away her smudged makeup, before turning to leave. "If you see Mr. Grey, tell him I never want to see his stupid fucking face ever again."

With that she stalked away, and Ana could only stare after her.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy… next chapter, Christian and Ana have a talk and some decisions are made.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	12. The Differences Between Us

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Differences Between Us**

Christian could only watch as Ana drove down the road, and once she had disappeared in the distance he turned toward Leila, who was still standing where he had left her. Instead of looking at Christian, however, she was watching Ana's truck driving away, anger and shock on her face.

"Her?" Leila whipped around to face Christian, her expression angry, as Christian approached her again. "She's the 'someone else' you were talking about, isn't she?"

"It doesn't matter," Christian said angrily. "Even if she was, that's none of your business. You and I are not together, and I told you outright that I didn't want to be with you anymore. How did you even know where I was?"

"Your secretary Olivia told me," Leila said, crossing her arms defiantly. "I called your office yesterday to ask where you were, and she told me at a construction site in Easton. I drove here straight away, and it wasn't too hard to find."

"Then I guess it wouldn't be too hard to find your way back," Christian grasped her upper arm and and began to pull her toward her car. "Leave Leila."

"Wait - you're sending me away? Just like that?" Leila almost tripped as Christian harshly pulled her along. "Ow! Hey!"

"Leila, not only is you being in Easton completely inappropriate, you're in violation of your NDA," Christian snapped angrily, roughly letting go of her arm. "You have no right to be here spouting off about some imaginary boyfriend/girlfriend relationship you think we have. Leave now, or I won't hesitate on getting a restraining order against you."

Leila stared at Christian, shock marring her face as tears filled her eyes. After a moment, she let out a shaky breath, glaring at him. "Fine, I'll go. But once that bitch breaks your heart, don't come running to me."

Before Christian could respond, Leila turned around and stalked away toward her car; he watched as she wrenched open the door, got in the driver's seat, and drove away, the tires squealing in her wake.

Christian turned to Taylor, who was standing several feet away the entire time. "Call my lawyer - let him know about the broken NDA. And next time, do a better job of keeping that crazy bitch away from me."

Taylor clenched his jaw. "Yes, sir," he said stiffly, pulling out his phone. Christian quickly pulled out his own phone and dialed Andrea:

"Mr. Grey - what can I do for you?" Andrea greeted him courteously.

"Is Olivia with you right now?"

"She is, sir."

"Put her on please."

The shuffling sound of a phone being passed over. "Hello?" Olivia answered.

"Olivia, did a woman call you yesterday to ask where I was, and you told her I was in Easton?"

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Um… I-I don't…"

"You're fired Olivia, effective immediately. Clear out your desk and be out of the building by the end of the work day today. Security will escort you out if you do not comply."

Olivia sputtered on the other end, clearly shocked. "M-Mr. Grey…!"

Christian ignored her as he hung up the phone. He hated working with that simpering moron anyway, and he wouldn't be sorry to never see her again once he returned to GEH.

"Mr. Grey, we should go," Taylor said, stepping forward to gaze down the road. He had an urgent expression on his face.

"Why?"

"Because Leila drove off in a different direction than where she came in. I think she followed Ms. Steele's truck back to her house."

In a second, Christian was running over to the SUV, Taylor right ahead of him. Christian got into the passenger seat as Taylor started the car, and in a moment they were speeding down the highway toward the lake, where Ana's house was about half a mile away. Christian's heart pounded, feeling like this day was just getting worse and worse.

Ana's house came into view, and Christian felt his heart drop into his stomach as he watched Leila's car pull away from where it was parked on the side of the road. She drove away, and Christian felt a ball of anxiety in the pit of his stomach grow.

 _Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Damn it all to hell!_

He wanted to track Leila down and demand she tell him what she did, but he needed to get to Ana first.

"Taylor, pull over, right now!" Christian demanded, and Taylor quickly pulled over and parked near where Leila's car had been. Christian jumped out the car, desperate to find Ana.

 _Did Leila do something to her? Hurt her? Threaten her?_

"Ana!" Christian called her name, hoping to God she'd hear him. He was about to go knock down her front door when he saw her out of the corner of his eye, walking around the side of the house from the backyard.

"Ana," Christian felt immediately relieved to see her, and hurried toward her. "Are you okay? Did Leila approach you? What did she say to you?"

"She didn't say anything," Ana said in a flat voice, moving past him as she walked toward the front door. Something in her voice and expression made Christian certain she was lying.

"Ana," he said again, but she ignored him. Leila had clearly said something to her that upset her, and Christian didn't know what he could say. "Ana, whatever she said to you, it isn't true," he said in a desperate bid for her to talk to him.

"Oh really?" Ana finally turned around, glaring at him. "So you're saying she wasn't your submissive who you contracted for sex on the weekends?"

Christian's heart dropped into his stomach, his pulse skyrocketing as his face went white. He could only stare at Ana, wishing he could do or say something to make this situation better. The cat was out of the bag, though, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"…God, I am going to fucking kill Leila," Christian grumbled to himself.

"Annie?"

Christian and Ana turned to see Ray step out onto the front porch, carrying Ted on his hip. Ted was still wearing his pajamas and carrying a plushy panda in his hand.

"We heard a commotion - is everything alright?" Ray asked, glancing up at Christian with a suspicious frown on his face. Christian looked away, not saying anything.

"Everything's fine, Dad," Ana reassured him, walking up to them. She leaned forward and kissed Ted on the forehead, and he grinned at her. "Do you mind taking Ted back inside for a minute? Christian and I just need to talk - we won't be much longer."

"Sure thing, sweetie," Ray cast one more look at Christian before bringing Ted back inside, closing the door behind them.

There were a few seconds where neither Christian nor Ana said anything, and Ana finally looked over at him, meeting his gaze. Although her expression was less angry than it was before, Christian couldn't deny that she was deeply troubled by what Leila had said to her.

 _Why the hell did that bitch have to come here and ruin everything?_

"I assume Leila followed me here?" Ana asked quietly, her expression unreadable. She stepped off the porch and began to walk toward Christian's rental house, and Christian fell in step beside her, gazing at her warily. "That's how she found me?"

"Yes," Christian said simply, unsure of what else to say. Neither of them spoke as they made their way to the back porch of Christian's rental house, finally stopping when they were on the deck.

"Ana, I can't tell you how sorry I am that she came here," Christian said after a moment, sincerely apologetic. "I hate that she approached you like this. She had absolutely no right to…"

"You don't have to explain her actions to me, Christian," Ana interrupted, crossing her arms protectively in front of her chest. "You're not responsible for how other people act, no matter how crazy or desperate they may seem. I doubt you're ever going to hear from Leila ever again anyway, since she made it clear to me that she never wants to see or speak to you ever again."

 _Thank God_ , Christian thought to himself. He didn't say anything, though, as Ana let out a sigh, twisting her fingers together nervously.

"I just… I want to know if what she said was true," Ana looked into Christian's eyes, and he knew it would do no good to lie to her. He took a deep breath before exhaling, deciding on telling her the honest truth.

"Yes, she was my submissive," he admitted to her reluctantly. "I'm a Dominant, and she and I were in a BDSM relationship for the past few months. That day I went back to Seattle last week was when I officially ended things with her. I had no idea she was going to come by today."

Ana looked like she was about to be sick, and Christian hated himself for doing this to her. "The two of you were in a Dominant and submissive relationship... up until a week ago?" she asked, sounding nauseated.

Christian grimaced, running a hand agitatedly through his hair. "It's… complicated. She and I had an arrangement, and it worked for the both of us. That's it, there were never any feelings involved."

"Maybe not for you," Ana stated, frowning heavily. "She told me straight up that she was in love with you! How the hell did she get to that point when there was apparently 'no feelings involved'?"

"I don't know, but please understand that I don't feel the same way about her," Christian insisted. "I never have. When I broke things off with her, I told her that it was because I had met someone else… that was the truth, Ana."

Ana didn't say anything as she gazed down at the ground, clearly in thought. Christian wasn't sure what she was thinking, so he decided to go on:

"Ana, I don't entirely know what's going on between the two of us, but believe me when I say that I have never felt this way about anyone before. I think you're the most beautiful, sweet, amazing, and intelligent person I've ever met. You challenge me in ways I've never known before, and I can't believe how much I enjoy our time together, whether we're at the construction site or spending time with your son. And above all else, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met… life has beaten down on you, and yet you haven't let that get to you. Your heart is so open and loving - not only to Ted, but to everyone else around you. You're amazing Ana, and anyone with half a brain could see that. I sure as hell do."

Ana still didn't say anything, and when she finally looked up, Christian could see there were tears in her eyes. "Christian, I… I don't know what to say to that."

"Just tell me that you won't let what Leila said stop whatever's going on between us," Christian said, unable to keep the desperation from his voice. More than anything, he wanted Ana to see him for the man she'd known for the past couple weeks - not the one he'd been in the years before he met her.

"It's not that simple, Christian," Ana said, her voice a mixture of heartbroken and resigned. "I've told you before that I don't date because of Ted. I don't want to bring someone into both of our lives only to have him end up hurting both of us. Whatever you choose to do in your personal life is your own business, but that doesn't mean I want to drag my son into whatever it is you get into… whips and chains, or whatever it may be."

"It's not like that, Ana," Christian insisted, gazing at her beseechingly. "I don't want that type of relationship anymore. Please believe me, the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you and Ted, and I swear I'll do everything in my power to not let my past affect whatever's happening between you and me."

Ana shook her head again, gazing down at the ground as she tried to fight back her emotion. "I'm sorry, Christian," she said quietly. "Whatever's going on between us, it needs to end now. The best thing we can do now is maintain a professional relationship when at the jobsite, and that's it."

Without waiting for a response, she began to move past him to head back to her house.

Christian felt his chest tighten as a surge of anger overtook him. "So that's it then?" he asked harshly, looking over at her, and Ana stopped walking. "You're going to give up what we have before it's even begun? I know that you want to protect Ted, Ana, but I also know that deep down you're just scared to put yourself out there and actually be happy for a change. Don't use your son as an excuse to dismiss something that could potentially happen between the two of us, because you know as well as I that we would be good together."

Ana still stood there, her back to Christian. He thought for a second that she was going to turn around, but after a moment she continued to walk away back toward her house, not looking back.

* * *

 **Ana**

Ana was currently standing in her kitchen, hours after she and Christian had spoken outside his rental home, as she busily cooked dinner for her and her family. She was making baked chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, buttered rolls, and asparagus stems; in the living room, Ana could hear Ted's favorite cartoon playing on the television, while Ray sat in his armchair reading his newspaper.

Cooking helped distract Ana from what had happened earlier today. Christian's final words to her rang inside her head, and she couldn't help dwelling on them even now as she pulled the pan of chicken from the oven. It was all she could do not to go up to her room, away from the rest of the world, and break down crying over the decision she had made.

 _Did I really make the wrong choice?_

Through her jumbled thoughts, Ana suddenly heard the doorbell ring, and Ray got up from his armchair to answer it. She listened as he walked over and opened the door.

"Christian," Ray greeted, and Ana froze in place. "How's it going? You here to see Ana?"

"No, I actually came by to say goodbye to you all," Christian said, and Ana held her breath, listening with rapt attention. "I'm heading back home to Seattle tonight, and my brother Elliot will be here tomorrow to oversee the construction with Ana. Can you let her know?"

"Sure thing, son," Ray said. "I'm sorry to see you go. You've really done a lot for Easton in the short time you've been here."

"It's a great town," Christian said sincerely. "I'm going to miss staying here. Thank you for making me feel so welcome."

"It was my pleasure, son."

Ana heard the patter of little feet running from the living room to the front entryway. "Hi Cwistian."

"Hey there, Ted," Christian said, and Ana could practically hear him smiling. "You having fun watching your cartoons over there?"

Ted giggled. "Yeah!"

"Well, I just came here to say goodbye to you, buddy," Christian went on. "I have to go back home to where my job is, so I won't get to stay here and hang out with you anymore."

"Oh," Ted said sadly, and Ana's heart clenched.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure we'll get to see each other again," Christian said reassuringly. "But until we do, be sure to take good care of your mommy, alright?"

"Okay," Ted agreed.

Ray and Christian chatted for another minute or so before they said their farewells, and Ray closed the door behind him. Ana stayed in the kitchen the entire time, hidden from sight, and after a moment she felt a tear or two slip silently down her cheek.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry to leave you all on such a sad note :( However, next chapter something big is about to happen.**

 **If you liked this update, please leave a review!**


	13. Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews and support! A lot of you had some strong opinions about how Ana handled the Leila situation… despite your righteous anger, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Calm Before the Storm**

Christian had suggested to Taylor and Gail that they stay behind in Easton with Elliot when Christian went back to Seattle, saving them the headache of packing up their things so soon after arriving. The two of them refused, however, and they insisted on going back with him - while Christian didn't disclose to them the true reason for his sudden departure, he was sure they knew his motivations for wanting to get out of Easton as soon as possible. The thought saddened him a bit, but he also felt a bit grateful his staff were so loyal to him.

His decision to leave Easton wasn't an easy one, but deep down he knew he couldn't stay here any longer, especially if he had to work beside Ana everyday at the jobsite. She was clearly disgusted by the person she realized he had always been, and why shouldn't she be? He had done some horrible shit to women in the past, and it was a fairly recent past too - Leila had made it abundantly clear what kind of a man he really was.

His lawyer had been informed of Leila's NDA violation when she came to Easton, and he suggested to Christian they file a restraining order against her. Christian wanted to find grounds to sue her, but as angry as he was, he knew legally she hadn't done anything that warranted that sort of response. A restraining order would have to suffice for now, but if she stepped out of line again, he knew he would absolutely destroy her.

Leila had pretty much completely ruined his chances with Ana, and for that he wanted to make her pay.

He thought back to his and Ana's conversation on his back porch after Leila had left, and he couldn't help but feel disgusted with himself for lashing out at her the way he did. He had accused her of hiding behind Ted instead of facing her feelings… it was a dick thing to say, and he wished he could take it back. He had said it out of anger, and she was clearly hurt by it. He wished he had never opened his dumb mouth.

He wished he could take this whole fucking day back.

He hated that Ana saw him like this - regardless of all the good times they shared together here in Easton, nothing could erase the view she had of him now, the one that came to light when Leila revealed the truth of his proclivities to her. That was why he couldn't bring himself to stay any longer.

He couldn't bear to face her anymore.

So with a heavy heart, he went over the the Steele's house and said his final goodbye. Ana didn't show her face, but at least he got to say goodbye to Ted, who actually seemed sad to see him go. Christian was going to miss him almost as much as he was Ana.

Christian knew deep down in his heart he would have tried to get over his demons to be a part of Ana and Ted's life, and to be honest that scared the crap out of him. He had no idea if it was even possible to get past all that shit he had to deal with when it came to his birth mother and Elena Lincoln. He never thought he was good enough to have a normal life… at least, not until he met Ana and Ted. With them he felt like a normal guy who could have a normal, happy life with a normal family.

 _It doesn't matter anymore, anyway._

Christian and Taylor now packed up the SUV with everything they had brought with them to Easton before the two of them and Gail got into the car and drove off. Christian watched the town disappear behind him in the rearview mirror.

~/~

Back in Seattle, it was easy for Christian to fall back into his normal work routine. Christian went to work on Tuesday morning and got a call from his brother telling him he had just arrived in Easton and was ready to work at the jobsite. Christian talked with him for a few minutes about what had already been done there so far and what still needed to be done in the next few weeks. It was strictly a business call, and Christian made sure not to mention Ana by name - Elliot thankfully didn't notice anything was off, and they ended their call with a promise to call again soon.

For the next couple days, Christian threw himself into his work, coming into the office as early as six am and staying well after ten at night. His absence from GEH over the past couple weeks had left a pile of work on his desk over a foot tall that Ros hadn't been able to get through yet, but he was thankful for the distraction. Work kept his mind off of Ana, and staying at the office kept him from going home at night. Escala practically felt like a prison at this point - an eight-and-a-half million dollar penthouse-in-the-sky prison. He dreaded going there since it meant going to sleep for the night, and when he slept he had nightmares.

He'd rather stay at the office and work. Thinking about other things just wasn't an option.

By Thursday of that week, Christian was completely burnt out. He was running on very little sleep, and had spent an average of about 15 hours a day at the office - he felt completely exhausted, and it really showed: his eyes were tired and bloodshot, and he was more irritable with people than usual. His employees avoided him like the plague, and even Taylor made himself scarce whenever they were at GEH. Only Ros seemed to have the guts to face him and tell him the cold hard truth.

"You look like shit, Grey," Ros told him on Thursday, breezing into his office and settling herself down in a chair in front of his desk. "You need to go home and take a nap or something - you look like you're about to pass out on your keyboard."

"I'm fine, Ros," Christian muttered, idly scratching the side of his unshaven face. "What've we got on the docket today?"

"Just that meeting with Oswell, but Marcus and I have got that covered," Ros said. "Go home, Christian - for your own sake. Get some sleep."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Christian mumbled, only half-joking, but Ros didn't seem amused.

"I've never seen you like this before Christian," she said, not an ounce of humor in her voice. "I don't know what the hell you're punishing yourself for, but it needs to stop right now. For the sake of your own sanity, you need to step away from work and just go home - I'm serious. I already had a word with Taylor and he's bringing your car around as we speak."

Christian felt annoyed Ros was taking so many liberties with him, but he felt too tired to argue with her at the moment. He let out an exhausted sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Fine."

Ros looked a bit surprised he was being so amenable, but she quickly gave him a relieved smile. "Good. Thank you, Christian."

It took Christian only a few minutes to gather up his things, and when he went downstairs into the parking garage, Taylor was waiting for him in the SUV, just like Ros said. The ride back to Escala was completely silent, but Christian didn't mind - he simply leaned his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax for the first time in days.

He honestly hadn't realized how exhausted he was. It was barely one o'clock in the afternoon, and he felt ready for bed.

When they arrived at Escala, Christian's mind was in a fog. All he could think about at the moment was going to sleep, and he hardly noticed as he walked through the great room and Gail took his arm, gently leading him upstairs and into his bedroom. He didn't fight her on it, and after a moment she put a small cup of something in his hand and told him to drink it - he complied, and the sickly minty taste of Nyquil filled his mouth. He grimaced at the flavor while he removed his tie and lay down on top of his comforter, fully clothed. Gail turned off the light and closed the door behind her, and Christian quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

In what felt like only a moment, Christian woke up, slowly and groggily blinking open his eyes. Out the window he saw that it was raining, and after glancing at the clock on the wall he noticed it was past six o'clock - he had been asleep for over five hours. With a sleepy yawn, Christian pulled himself out of bed and finally stripped out of his work clothes, changing into a white t-shirt and pajama pants before making his way downstairs into the great room.

The penthouse was empty - Gail and Taylor were probably having dinner in their quarters right now. A plate of chicken marsala, green beans, and baby red potatoes sat on the warming tray in the kitchen, and Christian went over to take it, grabbing a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator as well. He headed back into the great room and turned on the TV to the local news, and he sat down on the couch to start eating - he had spent evenings alone like this many times before in the past, but for some reason today it depressed the hell out of him. He didn't want to think about how he should be in Easton right now, spending time with Ana and Ted and Ray. Focusing on that too much would make him feel worse than he already did.

He finished his food and brought his empty dishes back to the kitchen. He then went over to the decanter on the counter and poured himself a healthy amount of Glenlivet - he rarely drank more than a finger of whiskey most nights, but tonight he felt he could drown himself in the stuff.

Christian brought his glass over to the floor-to-ceiling window in the great room, gazing out over the city of Seattle. Rain was still falling from the dark sky, making the lights of the distant buildings glimmer through the darkness; far away, Christian could just make out the Cascade Mountains along the horizon.

He grimaced to himself as he took a sip of the alcohol, staring out toward the mountains. For the first time in days, he felt as if he was close enough to Ana he could reach out and touch her.

~/~

Christian had forgotten he left the television on, which was still playing the local news:

"…Unfortunately, it looks like those rainy days aren't coming to an end just yet folks," a young man said to the camera, standing in front of a green screen weather map of the whole state of Washington. "There's going to be another rainstorm coming in from the west tonight and lasting until early tomorrow morning. All of King County will be hit, as well as most of Pierce and Kittitas Counties. Friday afternoon there will be a weather advisory for all of southwest Washington - a cold front coming up from the Pacific Ocean near Portland is going to hit Skamania, Klickitat and Yakima counties in the early afternoon, ending in Kittitas County by late afternoon Friday. This storm is set to bring in strong winds, heavy rains, and cooler temperatures falling to the mid-30s. Residents in those areas are advised not to leave their homes while the weather advisory is in effect. This has been Leonard Cawley with the weather… back to you Melissa."

* * *

 **Ana**

Ana was dreading going to the construction site on Tuesday morning. Not only was Christian not going to be there, but his brother Elliot was coming in to take his place - the last thing she felt she needed was a living breathing reminder of Christian every single day at the jobsite. She figured there was no use moping about it though, so she got up early on Tuesday morning and made her way to the construction site like she did every other day.

Elliot Grey was already there when Ana arrived - he was a tall, sandy-haired guy with warm brown eyes, and a frame as fit and muscular as his brother's. Ana knew Elliot and Christian weren't biologically related, but she couldn't help but see quite a few similarities between the two brothers.

"Ah yes, my brother mentioned there was someone helping oversee the construction," Elliot grinned and shook Ana's hand when they were introduced. "Nice to meet you Ana, I'm Elliot - the fun Grey brother."

Ana couldn't help but chuckle at his little joke. "Oh I dunno, Christian wasn't so bad."

"Yeah I guess, when you can look past his whole 'uptight CEO' schtick," Elliot smiled good-naturedly.

"Did he tell you why he had to go back to Seattle so suddenly?" Ana asked, her heart pounding in her throat. She hoped she sounded more curious rather than wary he knew the truth.

"No he didn't, but I assume it was something work-related," Elliot shrugged. "Pretty much his entire life revolves around Grey Enterprise Holdings. I remember he used to work practically 24/7, but it wasn't until last year when he actually started relaxing and spending some time with his family. I'm glad he's finally started to relax a little bit, but I hope he's not reverting back to how things were since before everything happened."

"Before what happened?" Ana asked curiously, and Elliot realized he may have said too much.

"Just… family stuff, you know," he brushed off, smiling slightly. "I probably shouldn't talk about it."

Ana very much wanted to know what had happened to Christian, but at that moment Andy the foreman approached them, ready to fill in Elliot about the construction so far. Ana had no choice but to drop the subject, but she was determined to know what had happened to Christian last year that prompted him to work less.

Later that evening, Ana was at home with Ray and Ted, and after dinner they all went into the living room to watch one of their favorite family sitcoms together. Ana soon excused herself to go to the bathroom, but instead went upstairs into the study, where the family computer was. It was an older PC, but since she and Ray hardly ever went online, it suited them just fine. She powered it on, and clicked onto Google, searching for Christian Grey.

There were a few articles about his title as CEO of GEH, and the philanthropic work he did for third world countries, but the most prominent headline was the very first search result:

 _ **ELENA LINCOLN CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST MINORS**_

Ana felt shocked that this article had come up when researching Christian, especially since it was at the very top of the first page of Google. She immediately clicked into it, and found it was an article written by the _Seattle Times_ last year, detailing all the depraved things this Seattle socialite woman named Elena Lincoln would make young teenage boys do with her, including getting them involved in the BDSM lifestyle.

Christian was named as one of her victims... when he was only fifteen years old.

With her heart lodged in her throat and tears in her eyes, Ana read through the entire article, which talked in-depth about how Christian was taken in by Mrs. Lincoln, a family friend to the Grey's, and she introduced him to the BDSM lifestyle at a very young age. Ana now understood why he had that sexual preference, and she couldn't help but feel heartbroken that this horrible event from his past was now laid out in an article for the whole world to read about.

She now felt awful for how she treated Christian before he left - he sounded as if he was trying to move on from this horrible event from his past, and she had completely shut him down. Had she been too unreasonable when she told him she didn't want to get involved in whatever he was doing?

Was he right when he said she was just using her son as an excuse to not to be happy?

Ana took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions in check. She quickly cleared the browser history and turned off the computer, not wanting her father to know what she had been reading about. Quickly wiping her eyes, she got up from her seat and went back downstairs, hoping Ted and Ray didn't notice her absence for too long.

~/~

For the next few days, Ana couldn't help but think about what she had learned about Christian's past. She didn't bring it up with anyone, not even Elliot - she knew he could've probably shed more light on the whole situation, but she was afraid to bring it up. Every passing day made her feel worse and worse, and her lousy mood wasn't helped by the weather, which was consistently rainy and gloomy every day of the week. She normally wouldn't have minded the rain, but working outdoors at a construction site in the mud and water wasn't really an option; the crew ended up not working much over the next few days due to the weather, and on Thursday Elliot announced that he was going to head back Seattle until the rain cleared up. He had work to do at his company back home, and he figured there was no point sticking around here when there was no work to be done anyway.

The rain kept pouring all through Thursday, and by Friday strong winds had also begun to blow through the mountains. Construction was put on hold indefinitely, and Ana and Ray spent all of Friday staying indoors keeping an eye on the weather report. There was a severe weather warning for all of Kittitas County, and it was getting worse and worse as the storm loomed ever closer.

"Mommy," Ted whined, tugging on his mother's pantleg. It was around his bedtime, and he had been cooped up in the house for several days due to the crappy weather, so he was in a pretty grumpy mood.

"I'm sorry sweetie," Ana soothed her son, though she was distracted by the gale pounding against the windows of the house. Outside, she could see the normally-pristine Lake Easton sloshing wildly in the torrential rain, and a bright bolt of lightning struck in the distance.

"That's it," Ray said, turning off the weather report on the TV. "Ana, grab a couple sleeping bags and Teddy's nightlight - we're gonna spend the night in the den."

"Are you sure?" Ana asked, frowning worriedly. The den was the one room in the house away from all windows, so that was the designated space for them to go during severe weather emergencies.

"I would've said the basement, but it could flood with all this rainwater," Ray said, gazing worriedly out the window. "I don't want to take any chances - this is the worst storm I've seen in years."

Ana had rarely heard her father sound this worried, so she quickly complied with gathering their sleeping bags, Ted's nightlight, his stuffed animals, and even some food from the pantry before all of them made their way into the den, which was a small room right off the kitchen that they used mostly for storage. Ted thankfully didn't seem to mind - it was like they were all having a big sleepover together, and he quickly cuddled into his sleeping bag with his favorite stuffed animals surrounding him. Ana got into her own sleeping bag beside him, still in her day clothes, and wrapped a protective arm around her son.

"Try not to worry too much, guys," Ray said assuringly, turning on the lamp beside them on a nearby end table. "We're just doing this as a precaution, okay? Everything will be alright."

Ana glanced down at Ted in her arms, noticing that he was already nodding off. She held him tightly as she rested her cheek on top of his head, closing her eyes. In her mind's eye, she pictured Christian right here with them, protecting her and Ted from the storm. She wondered where he was and if he was okay.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning and crash of thunder came from outside, and the next moment all the lights in the house flickered off, bathing them in darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading! Next chapter, we'll get to see the aftermath of the storm.**

 **Quick note: Some of you were making conjectures about Ted's biological father - I just want to clarify that it is NOT going to be Elliot. Ted has blonde hair because his mother had blonde hair, no other reason. Ted's biological father will play no part in this story.**

 **If you liked this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought :)**


	14. The Aftermath

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support :) Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: The Aftermath**

Muted light filtered into the den as Ana blinked open her eyes. It was clearly morning now, and it took her a moment or two to remember she wasn't in her bed and that she was in her sleeping bag on the floor. Pushing her sleep-tousled hair away from her face, she glanced down to see Ted still in the same position from when he fell asleep, curled up against Ana's side with her arm still wrapped protectively around him. She took stock of everything around them, and knew that the storm was over and the house was intact. The ground they were sleeping on wasn't damp or flooded at least, which was a good sign.

"Good, you're up," Ray now entered the room, having changed into jeans and a work jacket. "I made breakfast."

"Great," Ana said, sitting up in her sleeping bag. "So the power's back on?"

"Yeah, it came back on about an hour or so ago," Ray said. "The water's on too, so a shower this morning isn't out of the question."

"Thank God," Ana muttered, acutely aware she had slept in her clothes last night. "How bad was the storm?"

"No lasting damage, as far as I can tell," Ray said, though he still looked a bit worried. "I haven't had a chance to assess the whole property yet, but I think we're still in one piece. The rest of Easton may not have been so lucky, though."

Ana frowned, feeling a pit of dread settle low in her gut - exactly how bad had this storm been? She tried not to think about it too much as she turned to Ted and gently shook him awake.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Ana whispered, rubbing his arm, and Ted stirred in his sleep. "C'mon Teddy, Grandpa made us breakfast."

"Mmmmmm," Ted groaned grouchily, rubbing his eye with his tiny knuckles.

"We might be a minute," Ana glanced up at her father, smirking, and he smiled back. Both of them were well aware of how reluctant Ted was to get up in the mornings.

"Take your time," Ray said, turning to walk out of the den. "Pancakes will be there whenever you're ready."

A sleep-tousled Ted suddenly perked up at the word pancakes, and Ana couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him.

"Well, it looks like we're finally up."

* * *

After their breakfast, Ana, Ted, and Ray all put on their raincoats and rubber boots and went outside to check out the extent of the storm's damage. The rain had stopped at this point thankfully, but the sky was still overcast and gray; leaves and branches from surrounding trees were scattered all over the yard, and even a few shingles from their carpentry shop's roof had been ripped off and flung about fifty yards away. Aside from that, though, their home was still pretty much intact.

"Looks like we lucked out," Ana said, standing in the yard and gazing around their property, Ted hanging onto her hand.

"But that doesn't look good," Ray muttered, gazing down the road.

Ana and Ted walked over to where Ray was to see what he was looking at: past the valley they could see the main part of Easton looking pretty battered from the storm. Cars and trucks were driving slowly through the streets, floodwaters halfway up their tires, and multiple trees and street signs were knocked over into buildings and roads. It definitely looked as if a huge storm had passed through here only a few hours ago.

"Get in the truck you two," Ray said, making a move toward the driveway where their truck was parked. "We gotta see if everyone in town's okay."

Ana didn't hesitate picking up Ted in her arms and following her father to the truck. They all got inside and Ray backed out of the driveway before heading down the road into town. They had to slow down once they reached the main street since a lot of the road was submerged in about a foot of water.

"Oh my God," Ana muttered, watching the water sloshing around their tires as they drove down the street. Ana had driven this way a million times and never had she seen it like this - people were stepping out of their homes and buildings wearing galoshes and raincoats, trying to assess the damage to their property. A lot of homes had fallen trees on their roofs or heavy branches smashed through their windows, and it looked as if pretty much every building where the water was high had flooded. The whole town looked like it was in complete ruin.

"Jesus," Ray sighed through his nose, which he did whenever he was deeply upset. "This'll take some time to fix up, that's for sure."

"Maybe we can let some people stay at our place until the flooding goes down," Ana suggested, gazing out the windows worriedly. They managed to turn onto a side street that wasn't completely flooded, but suddenly they heard a dog barking loudly nearby.

"Stop the car," Ana said quickly, seeing where the dog was coming from. There was a small crowd of people gathered in the front lawn of Paul Clayton's house, where a large tree had fallen and smashed into his roof, splintered wood sticking out everywhere. Paul's border collie Seager was the dog barking up a storm nearby, facing the part of the house where the tree had fallen.

Ray parked on the side of the road and Ana quickly hopped out, rushing toward the scene. Several people looked over at her when she walked forward, and among them was Greg Clayton, wearing his raincoat and looking utterly devastated.

"Ana! Paul's still in there!" he said frantically, pointing toward where the tree had fallen on the house. "He can't get out - please, we have to call the fire department!"

Ana ran toward where he was pointing, and sure enough the tree had fallen right through the door and front window, blocking every exit. Seager was still barking at something inside the house, and Ana finally noticed Paul inside within the rubble on the ground floor, his red baseball cap and sweatshirt easily visible through the mess.

"Paul, can you hear me?" Ana shouted toward him.

"Ana?" Paul shouted back, turning and squinting through the rubble. "Is that you?"

"Yeah. Are you able to get out of there?"

"No, my foot's stuck under this damn tree."

Ana swallowed, fear settling in the pit of her stomach. "Is your foot broken?"

"I don't think so, I just can't move it," Paul said, grunting as he tried to shift his body. "Is help on the way?"

"Your dad's gonna call the fire department," Ana said, but even as she said it she could hear the resignation in her voice. The nearest fire station was the Kittitas County Fire Department, which was several towns over, and due to the storm last night they were probably swamped dealing with the fallout. Help probably wasn't coming for a long time.

"Is there a tow truck around here we could use?" Ana turned to Greg, who had his cell phone to his ear. "I know Hayden Blake has one, we could ask him to borrow it."

"We could try, but I don't think a standard tow truck would be able to move a tree this big," Greg said, frowning in distress as he looked at his son's smashed house. "I don't know what the hell we're supposed to do."

Ana cast her mind around for something that could help Paul out of his house, and suddenly the answer came to her. "We could use a crane from the jobsite," she said quickly to Greg.

His eyes immediately perked up. "That might work," he said, looking hopeful. "Do you know how to drive one?"

"I've seen Andy at the construction site drive one. I think I could try to figure it out," Ana said.

"That'll have to work," Greg said. "Come on!"

He hurried over to his truck, parked only a few yards away from Ana's red pickup. Ray was standing nearby with Ted in his arms, and Ana quickly promised them she'd be right back before hurrying after Greg toward his car. She hopped into the passenger seat, and they began to drive off toward the jobsite - despite their haste, Greg had to steer carefully through the more flooded areas.

"I've never seen Easton like this before, Ana," Greg said sadly, gazing around at his weather-beaten town around them. "I don't honestly know how we're going to bounce back from all this."

"It may take some time, but I'm sure we'll be okay," Ana said, though she sounded worried as she spoke. "We'll pull together - we always do."

Greg didn't say anything to that, and they were silent as they drove their way to the valley where the construction site was. Ana was relieved to see that the few walls that had been constructed for LCH had stood firm throughout the storm. The excavated land was very muddy and wet, but aside from that the jobsite looked unharmed.

One of the larger cranes was sitting near the highway they were driving on, and Greg pulled over once they were near it. Before either of them could step out of the truck, however, they noticed another car on the highway speeding toward them, heading straight for Easton. Ana and Greg could only watch as the car got closer - for a moment, Ana was afraid it was Leila again, but she soon realized the car wasn't a red Audi. It was a black SUV.

 _It's Christian._

Ana and Greg finally stepped out of the truck as the black SUV pulled over and stopped on the right shoulder. Three of the car doors opened and out stepped three men - Taylor, Christian, and Elliot.

"Greg, Ana," Christian said as they walked briskly toward the two of them. "I heard the weather report, and I came as soon as I could. Are you all okay?"

"No we're not," Greg said, distressed. "A tree fell on my son's house and he trapped underneath it. The nearest fire department is two towns over, and we need to use one of these cranes to pull the tree off him."

Christian, not missing a beat, turned to Elliot. "Elliot, drive the crane into town with Ana and Greg. Taylor and I will follow in the SUV."

"You got it - c'mon you two," Elliot said, gesturing to Ana and Greg. They quickly followed him toward the crane and got inside, Elliot in the driver seat and Ana and Greg in the bench seat next to him.

"You know how to operate one of these things?" Greg asked him.

"I've been doing this since I was nineteen," Elliot said confidently before starting the ignition. Ana and Greg exchanged a glance, both of them relieved someone with experience was operating the crane.

They drove slowly down the highway, and thankfully there were no other cars on the road other than the SUV behind them where Taylor and Christian were. Elliot drove the crane down the main street into town, and Greg directed down the streets where the flooding was minimal. While Ana was sure the crane was sturdy enough and could have withstood the high flood waters, she was glad they weren't taking the risk of it getting stuck.

They made it back to Paul's house, and at this point a larger crowd had gathered in the yard, people trying to figure out a way to get him out. Everyone quickly moved out of the way as soon as the crane approached, and Ana and Greg quickly hopped out as Elliot pulled up onto the grass.

"Everybody - out of the way!" Christian called authoritatively to the whole crowd, getting out of the SUV and hurrying into the fray. "My brother is going to try to lift the tree up slightly with the crane, so everyone stand at least thirty feet back. Greg and Taylor - you two are going to help me move the rubble aside as Elliot is moving the tree so we can pull Paul out."

The whole crowd of people quickly complied, and Ana made her way over to Ted and Ray, ushering them out of the way as well.

"What the hell's Christian doing here?" Ray asked, frowning over at him.

"Greg and I ran into him at the jobsite," Ana explained. "He said he heard the weather report and came straight here to see if we were alright."

While Ana knew now wasn't the time to think about this, a large part of her couldn't help but be happy Christian was here with them. She had missed him a lot this past week, and seeing him again today, even under these horrible circumstances, made her feel hopeful that everything could go back to normal.

Ana, Ted, Ray, and the rest of the crowd watched with bated breath as Elliot and Christian managed to get the crane rope wrapped a couple times around the tree trunk before Elliot got back in the driver's seat and began slowly hoisting the tree up. Christian, Taylor, Greg, and Easton's resident physician Dr. Perkins began pulling pieces of rubble away from where Paul was, hoping to clear enough of it so they could pull him out safely. Ana simply watched anxiously as the men worked to get Paul out safely.

Finally, after twenty long drawn-out minutes, Elliot had managed to lift the tree up enough so Paul's foot was no longer stuck underneath it, and the other men managed to reach in and help Paul out of the rubble. Once out, Greg and Dr. Perkins pulled each of his arms over their shoulders so he could lean on them as he got to his feet, and Paul had to hop on his good foot as they helped him along. He smiled widely at the crowd of people, and everybody applauded, ecstatic that he was okay.

Ana beamed widely, applauding as well. Christian had literally come in and saved the day, and she couldn't be more grateful for his presence here in Easton after last night's storm. He really was their knight in shining armor.

Christian now stood in front of the crowd, holding his hands up to quiet them all. Everybody settled down enough to look at Christian, waiting for what he was about to say.

"I had heard about what happened here in Easton on the news, but I didn't realize the extent of it until I came back this morning," Christian began. "Now that I'm here, I want to help in any way that I can. FEMA and the state government can only help you guys to a certain extent, which is why I want all of you whose homes or businesses that have been destroyed by the flood waters or damaged by debris to leave your name and phone number with my right hand man over here, Jason Taylor."

Christian gestured to Taylor, who walked up to stand beside him. "We'll bring in water damage restoration specialists and a clean up crew to help get the flood waters out of your homes, and we'll bring in reconstruction teams to rebuild Paul's and anyone else's homes that might have been damaged in the storm. Don't worry about the cost, I'll handle everything - let's just focus on Easton's reconstruction right now. Alright?"

There were several murmurs among the crowd and a smattering of appreciative applause - everyone was gazing at Christian with a mixture of shock and amazement, many of them probably wondering if he was really going to pay for the entire town's disaster recovery. Ana knew that Christian really would do it, and she felt a strong pull in her chest as she gazed at him in wonder. A small crowd of people were now gathering around him, and he facilitated it all while in full CEO mode, wearing his slacks and blue button-down shirt with an open collar and rolled up sleeves. Ana couldn't help but smile, her opinion of him having grown exponentially in just these past few minutes. She had read articles about his philanthropic endeavors, but never had she expected to see him do something like this.

He truly was as good a man as she had always wanted to believe.

"Talk about coming in at the eleventh hour," Ray chuckled, shaking his head incredulously. "Easton sure is lucky to have Christian Grey on our side."

Ana continued to gaze at Christian, her smile not leaving her face. "Yeah, we are."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next, we'll see the beginning of Easton's reconstruction.**

 **Please review and tell me what you thought! And if you haven't yet, be sure to friend me on Facebook. I go by the username Straw Paj.**


	15. Recovery and Reconstruction

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Recovery and Reconstruction**

The next five days were probably the hardest Ana had worked in her entire life, but she wouldn't trade them for the world. Everybody in Easton had banded together to help each other out throughout the recovery process - the high flood waters and damage from fallen debris had forced a lot of residents to leave their houses, and the neighbors who didn't have storm damage invited those affected to come stay with them. Ana and Ray offered space in their home to the Elroy family, whose home had been completely flooded during the storm. The Elroy's had two young twin daughters and a pet cat, so Ted at least was happy to have a few companions to play with over the next few days.

True to his word, Christian had taken it upon himself to kickstart the recovery process of the whole town. After the amount of damage to the town was properly assessed, Christian brought in a team of water damage experts and a clean up crew to get all the floodwaters out of the buildings. The crew immediately began putting up sandbags along people's doors and entry points before vacuuming out the remaining water inside the homes so they would dry out faster.

In addition to the floodwaters, many homes and businesses had been damaged, or even completely ruined, by fallen debris and trees. Paul had ended up fracturing his ankle while trapped under the tree that had smashed his house, and his foot was now in a cast and boot. Thankfully no one else was injured in the storm, so that was one less thing to worry about, but a lot of homes and buildings were still seriously damaged. Once all the floodwaters had completely receded from Easton, then Christian would be able to bring in contractors to rebuild everything that had been damaged.

Elliot was now taking charge of the LCH construction, which still had a deadline of when it needed to be finished. Andy and all the construction workers had been staying at a motel a few miles down the road from Easton, which thankfully didn't get too flooded by the storm, so the construction was still able to commence. Elliot was happy to take over work at the jobsite, and with Christian heading up Easton's reconstruction, it seemed as if the Grey brothers were really making a significant impact on the small town.

Ana spent her days either helping out at the construction site, helping out in town, or staying at home with Ted and the Elroy's. Ray helped out a lot too, having closed down Steele Woodworking for the foreseeable future until a majority of the damage from the storm had been repaired. He spent much of his time helping out Christian and the clean up crew with sandbagging people's homes - a lot of Easton's residents were keen to help however they could, which allowed this reconstruction process to go a lot more quickly than expected.

* * *

On Wednesday, five days after the storm had passed, things were finally beginning to look up. The floodwaters had receded enough so the contractors could come in and start reconstructing all the damaged building, which would likely take another week or two. However, the residents of Easton were happy to wait considering all of this was being paid for by Christian Grey.

The Elroys' home was now completely dry and safe for them to live in again, but the night before they were meant to go back home, they decided to cook a big delicious dinner as a thank you for the Steele's hospitality. They invited Christian and Elliot to join them, so the Steele's home was filled to the brim this Wednesday evening with the adults sitting around the dining room table, eating and laughing, while Ted and the Elroy girls played in the next room over.

"Mackenzie, this lasagna is delicious," Ana smiled as Mrs. Elroy refilled people's water glasses. Mackenzie Elroy was about ten years older than Ana, with short curly black hair and a sweet smile; her husband Todd was bald and slightly overweight, but just as kind-hearted as his wife.

"Thank you, Ana," Mackenzie smiled gratefully at her.

"Well, I think this green bean casserole is the best thing I ever tasted," Elliot exclaimed, scooping more onto his plate. He probably had about twice as much food on his plate as anyone else at the table. "Can I have the recipe to give to my mom so she can make it whenever I visit?"

The others all laughed. "Sure Elliot," Mackenzie said amusedly. "I'm just glad you're all enjoying the food. It's our little way of saying thank you to what you've all done for our family these past few days. Our situation had felt so hopeless after the storm hit, and we weren't sure if we would ever get back on our feet. But with your help, we've been able to get our home and our lives back. We couldn't be more grateful for all the help you've given us - there are simply not enough words to express our gratitude."

"To the Steele's and Grey's," Todd Elroy toasted his glass of wine, smiling at everyone sitting at the table.

"Cheers," they all chorused, smiling at one another as they toasted their drinks. Ana glanced up at Christian, who was sitting directly across from her, holding up his glass of beer as his gray eyes met hers. She blushed and smiled slightly before looking away.

Ana knew she and Christian had to have a talk at some point, but with everything that had been going on these past few days, they never got a chance to. To be honest, she was just happy to have Christian back in Easton again, and part of her was afraid anything she said would drive him away again. The two of them got along amicably when talking about the town's reconstruction, but neither of them had breached the subject of their relationship yet.

Christian was probably as reluctant to talk about it as she was. At least she wasn't alone in that.

Mackenzie and Todd soon got distracted by their daughters, who had been trying to dress up the cat in a tutu, and Elliot and Ray soon got into a discussion about the Mariners' chances this season. Ana and Christian hadn't said much to each other the whole dinner, but as everyone else became involved in their own conversations, Ana felt obligated to talk to Christian, who was still gazing right at her.

She looked at him, and he subtly nodded toward the front door. Ana glanced over at the door too before turning back to him and nodding.

"If it's alright with everyone, I think I'm gonna go for a short walk near the lake," Christian said to the room, getting to his feet.

"Oh, I'll come with you," Ana said quickly, getting out of her seat as well. The others said goodbye as Christian and Ana got on their shoes and headed out the front door together.

The sun had set along the horizon, causing an inky blue dusk to settle across the entire valley. Ana and Christian walked together around the house and down toward the lake, neither of them saying anything to each other as they went. It was a balmy evening out tonight, with the sounds of crickets chirping all around them; thankfully it hadn't rained at all since the storm last Friday, so Ana felt perfectly comfortable going outside without a raincoat or rubber boots.

"Beautiful night tonight," Christian noted casually, gazing out toward the lake. Ana thought he looked very ruggedly handsome today in an open flannel shirt and t-shirt with dark wash jeans and hiking boots.

"Yeah," Ana agreed, unsure of what else to say. She stuck her hands in her back jeans pockets as they walked down to the calm, sparkling shore of Lake Easton, and Ana gazed into the water, trying her hardest to pull up the courage to say what she wanted to say to him.

 _Just do it Ana._

"Christian," Ana began, looking over at him, and he looked back at her. "I wanted to find a time to talk to you over the past few days, but I guess I haven't been able to find the right opportunity, what with everything going on."

Christian stopped and turned so he was facing her, a small smirk on his handsome face. "Well, now's as good a time as any, Ms. Steele. Talk away."

Ana, however, didn't smile back as she turned to gaze at him too. "It's not that simple, but I guess I might as well bring it up before I lose my nerve." She took a deep breath before letting it all out. "I know about Elena Lincoln and what she did to you."

Christian's smile faded into an unreadable expression. He didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry if that was a violation of your privacy," Ana went on apologetically, praying she hadn't offended him. "But a couple weeks ago I had been talking to Elliot and he mentioned in passing that you hardly ever relaxed until about a year ago. So later that night, I Googled you and found an article in the _Seattle Times_ detailing exactly what had happened to you when you were fifteen. I'm sorry if I had overstepped my bounds."

Christian glanced down at his feet before shaking his head. "No, it's not your fault Ana. I've had to deal with the public knowing about my past for awhile now, so I expected you to learn about it sooner or later."

"I really am sorry," Ana said sincerely. "About everything… and I'm sorry about what happened to you."

Christian nodded. "Me too," he said quietly. They were silent for a couple more moments, the quiet sounds of the lake lapping gently beside them.

"I understand a bit better now though," Ana went on, and Christian looked up at her. "About how you got into that lifestyle in the first place and... and to an extent why you kept practicing it. I know that BDSM is not in and of itself bad lifestyle, but I guess just not knowing what your history was with it is what freaked me out initially."

"Ana, I completely understand your reaction to what Leila had told you about me," Christian said honestly. "For all you knew, I could've been a sadistic lunatic - I'm not blaming you for what you said to me. I just wish I could have talked to you about it before you saw that article. that shouldn't have been how you learned about my past with the lifestyle."

"Well, it's a bit too late now," Ana smiled sardonically, gazing up into Christian's eyes. "Was the article wrong about you?"

"As much as I wish it was wrong, I'm afraid it's pretty accurate. Elena Lincoln had been a friend of my family's, and she took advantage of me when I was fifteen years old. I'd dealt with a lot of behavioral problems growing up, and so I became her target. She preyed on me - conditioned me to think I was worthless, and that I needed her to help me become worthy of my family's love. She introduced me to BDSM as a method of control, and of course being the horny teenager I was, I was just happy to do it if it meant having sex with a hot older lady. I didn't think of it as the abuse it was, and I had no idea she was doing the same thing to other boys my age too."

Christian paused, and Ana felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't imagine how any person could be so horrible as to prey on children like this Elena woman did.

"Well, I have to say I'm happy she went to prison for what she did to you," Ana said, a bitter edge to her voice. "She is still in prison, right?"

"Yes, and she will be until the day she dies," Christian said confidently. "If my name has any clout in the city of Seattle, I'll see to it myself that she'll never be freed."

"So…" Ana began, and Christian went silent. "Even after everything regarding Elena's incarceration, you still practiced the lifestyle she introduced you to. Why?"

"It was all I knew," Christian said honestly. "I couldn't tell you all the reasons why I continued practicing BDSM in the years after Elena, but if I'm being completely honest, I do enjoy many aspects of it. You said yourself that the lifestyle isn't inherently bad, and when practiced in a safe environment with consenting adults, it can be very pleasurable. Even vanilla couples practice it from time to time."

"Vanilla couples?" Ana asked, looking confused.

"Regular people," Christian explained. "Normal couples with no kink or fetishes."

"Oh," Ana said before shaking her head slightly. "I guess I have a lot to learn about this lifestyle of yours."

Christian let out a sigh, bringing his hand up to tug at his hair. "But that's the thing though, isn't it? Ever since I met you, I don't want to be a part of that lifestyle anymore. It may have suited me for the past twelve years, but I just don't find it emotionally fulfilling. I don't think I ever have - I'm sorry, but I really can't explain my feelings about it that well..."

"No, I get it," Ana said, her voice oddly subdued. "We stick with what we know, and we do what we're comfortable with. I know how that feels."

Christian knew that she was referring to what he had said to her before leaving last week, and he instantly felt terrible. He walked forward and took her hand in his own.

"Ana, if you're referring to what I had said to you regarding Ted, please know that I've regretted it ever since I said it," he said sincerely. "It was an awful thing to say in the heat of the moment, and I wish I could take it back. I really do."

"It's okay Christian, I'm not angry about it," Ana said, lightly squeezing his hand back. "I know there was some truth behind it… I do make excuses for myself when it comes to Ted. I feel like I've been so focused on being his mother these past four years that sometimes I forget how to just let myself be happy."

"Ana, you are an amazing mother to Ted - don't diminish that about yourself," Christian said firmly. "If every mother was as selfless and kind-hearted as you, the world would be a much better place to live. Putting your own son's happiness before your own is nothing to be ashamed about."

Ana blushed and smiled at his compliment. "You really know how to say the right things to me, Christian."

Christian smiled back at her, and Ana couldn't help but notice his hand was still holding hers, as if he didn't want to let her go just yet.

"I apologize if I'm being too forward," Christian said, taking another step toward her so he was right in front of her, gazing into her eyes while his hand still held hers. "But I really want to know… is there any chance at all that something could happen between the two of us?"

His question caused Ana's heartbeat to skyrocket and her head to go a bit fuzzy. A part of her wanted to scream yes, but she instead cleared her throat, trying to gather her wits.

"If I'm being completely honest, I do really like you Christian," she said honestly. "I think you're an amazing man, and not just because of your wealth and status. Everything you've done for Easton goes beyond anything any of us were expecting, and it says a lot about the kind of person you are that you stayed back here to help us in our time of need. All of us here can't thank you enough for your selflessness and your generosity, but… I don't think I'd be okay with being your submissive. It's just not me."

"I don't want you as my submissive," Christian said earnestly. "And I don't want to be your Dominant. I just want you to be you - any way I can have you, Ana, I'd be happy with that."

Ana blinked, feeling hope burgeoning in her chest. "Really?"

Christian smiled. "Really. You've changed everything for me Ana, and you haven't even tried."

Ana gazed into his eyes, a smile spreading across her own face. Somewhere, deep down in her heart, she knew he was telling the truth, and she couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Well, I think you're going to have to ask me out on a date first, Mr. Grey."

Christian's face broke out into a wide, panty-dropping smile, and he lifted his hand to take her chin in his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up to him. "Well, let's see what I can come up with then, Ms. Steele."

Without another word, he leaned down and kissed her right on the lips, and she immediately kissed him back. It was heaven, feeling his lips press against her own, conveying the extent of his feelings for her, and beside them she could hear Lake Easton lapping gently against the shore, ambient and peaceful in the summer night.

This moment was one she wished would last forever.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed that :) Next chapter, Ana and Christian go on their first date.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!**


	16. The First Date

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: The First Date**

Ana wished she could have stayed with Christian beside the lake for the rest of the evening, but she knew they both had to get back inside soon before the others wondered where they were. Before they left, however, Christian promised to come by early tomorrow morning and take her to the construction site. Ana at first insisted he didn't have to do that, but he told her he had a surprise for her.

"So what is it?" Ana had asked, smiling up at him, and Christian chuckled.

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" he said. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, and Ana couldn't help but put her arms around his neck. "However, I'll let you know that it will involve our upcoming first date."

"Ah, okay," Ana giggled. "Well, I guess I should just allow myself to be wooed by you, then."

Christian leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. "I get to woo you," he said with a delighted smile. "I kind of like the sound of that."

"Me too."

Christian grinned before leaning down to kiss her on the lips, and she kissed him back, feeling elated beyond belief that they were free to do this now. Before their kiss could escalate, however, they heard the front door of Ana's house open and the sound of people talking with one another out on the front porch.

Christian and Ana finally pulled away from each other. "I guess that's our cue. We should probably head back," Christian said regretfully, and Ana sighed.

"I guess so."

The two of them walked back over to the front of the house, where Elliot and the Elroy's were saying goodnight to the others. They were clearly about to head back home - Elliot actually had his own vacation house he had rented for himself last week, and he looked over as Christian and Ana approached.

"Hey, you two," he grinned. "What took you guys so long out there?"

"We went for a walk," Christian said, though Ana felt the blush on her face was telling enough. "Heading back to your place right now?"

"Yeah, it's getting pretty late. You should probably think about heading back too."

Ana felt her spirits sink at the prospect of Christian leaving her. He turned to gaze at Ana, his eyes conveying the same emotion. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Ana nodded, giving him a sad smile. "See you tomorrow."

The others all said their goodbyes, and Christian left Ana with only a chaste kiss on the cheek. Ana wished he would have kissed her like he had back by the lake, but knew that that probably wouldn't have been very appropriate in front of present company. The Elroy's, Christian, and Elliot all left, and Ana went inside to finish cleaning up before putting Teddy to bed.

* * *

The next morning, Ana was in high spirits as she got ready for the day. Teddy was his usual grumpy self when waking up this morning, but Ana eventually got him to sit at the kitchen table with his bowl of cereal and a sippy cup of apple juice. Ray was sitting next to Ted with his coffee and newspaper, and Ana was busily fixing herself and her father a couple omelets at the stove. The TV was playing the morning news in the living room, and Ana was humming quietly to herself as she cooked.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Ana couldn't help but smile, knowing who it was. Before she could step away from the stove, however, her father had gotten up from his seat and walked over to answer the door.

"Hey Christian," Ray greeted as soon as he opened the door. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Didn't Ana tell you? I'm driving her to the construction site this morning," Ana heard Christian say from the front entryway. "But there are actually a few things I wanted to give you guys first as a thank you for having us over for dinner last night."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Ray said, though he sounded pleased at Christian's generosity. The next moment Christian and Ray had walked into the kitchen, a brown paper shopping bag in Christian's hand.

"Good morning, everyone," Christian smiled, his eyes lingering on Ana. "Good morning, Ana."

"Good morning, Christian," Ana said, blushing and smiling. "We were just finishing up breakfast. Can I make you an omelet?"

"Oh, no thank you. I already had breakfast before I came," Christian smiled kindly at her. "I actually have something for your father right now."

Christian set his paper bag on the kitchen table and pulled out a dark blue box with a matte finish that looked very high-end. Ana was sure it contained a fancy bottle of alcohol.

"Oh my God, Christian," Ray looked positively delighted as he took the box from Christian and and gazed at the label on it. "This is Blue Label whiskey! I can't accept this - it's way too expensive!"

"I was happy to do it Ray," Christian assured him with a sincere smile. "In fact, I stock the same whiskey for the wet bar in my apartment in Seattle. You and I can have another drink sometime."

Ray laughed. "You got it son. Would it be too early in the morning to crack open this particular bottle though?"

"Dad," Ana rolled her eyes with a smile while the men laughed.

"Ted, I got something for you here too," Christian said to Ted. The little boy quickly hopped out of his chair and tried to peek inside the bag, bouncing on his little feet. The adults all laughed.

"Here you go, buddy," Christian reached into the bag and pulled out a brand new Tonka bulldozer truck still in the box. The toy looked a lot like the bulldozers over at the jobsite, which was probably why Ted looked so delighted - he jumped up and down and giggled as he took the box from Christian, hugging it to his chest.

"What do you say, Ted?" Ana chided her son lovingly.

"Thanks!" Ted exclaimed as he bolted to the living room, eager to get the box open and the toy out. The adults chuckled at his exuberance, and Ray walked over to his grandson to help him get the box open.

"And for you, Ana…" Christian smiled before reaching into the bag. He then pulled out a small, clear plastic container with a beautiful flower corsage.

"Christian," Ana smiled widely, gazing down at the beautiful arrangement of white flowers, green leaves, and silver-gray ribbons. "It's gorgeous."

"I'm glad you think so," Christian smiled as he handed it to her. "I was hoping you would wear it for our date tonight."

"Are you taking me to prom?" Ana couldn't help but ask with a giggle, and Christian smiled.

"I was actually thinking we could have a nice candlelit dinner over at my place. My housekeeper Gail is an excellent cook, and she's agreed to help me make a delicious dinner for you and I tonight."

"That sounds wonderful," Ana smiled, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Should I bring anything?"

"No, I'll cover everything," Christian said. "Can I pick you up here at around seven o'clock?"

"Sounds good," Ana smiled at him, but her smile faded slightly as she remembered Ted. She turned toward the living room, where Ray was still helping Ted open his box, and she prepared herself for the awkward conversation that was about to ensue. "Hey, um… Dad?"

"I'll watch Ted tonight, Ana. You and Christian go have fun on your date," Ray turned to look at the two of them, a small grin on his face. "I have to say, it's about time you two decided to take the leap."

"Oh my God, Dad," Ana muttered, blushing crimson as she covered her face with her hand. Christian didn't look embarrassed at all as he beamed widely at Ray.

"Thank you, sir. I completely agree," he said, and Ray laughed.

"So did you ask her out last night after dinner during your walk?" he asked. "Elliot thought you might."

"Yes I did, in fact," Christian grinned.

"Christian," Ana brought her hand away from her face to gaze imploringly at him, her face still bright red. "Shouldn't we be going to the construction site right now?"

"Yeah, we should," Christian agreed, and with a smile he took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles sweetly. "I'll be in the car whenever you're ready."

He then turned around and walked back out the front door, saying goodbye to Ted and Ray as he went. Once the door closed behind him, Ana couldn't bring herself to even look at her father.

"Mommy's face pink!" Ted exclaimed from the living room, pointing at his mother, and Ray laughed.

"Her face is pink, isn't it?" he said, gazing over at his daughter with an amused smile on his face. Ana shook her head, fighting back her own smile.

"Shut up, you two," she said before walking over to the refrigerator to store her corsage.

* * *

Ana went with Christian to the construction site that morning and they worked there with Elliot and Andy until about noon, which was when Christian needed to meet with Greg Clayton about the town's reconstruction. Christian dropped Ana off back at her place at around lunchtime, not before giving her a searing kiss that made her heart pound and her mind turn to mush.

"I'll see you tonight," Christian whispered after they broke apart, his face still inches from hers. Ana, too far gone to speak any words, merely nodded, and Christian smiled.

Once Ana was inside and Christian had left, she checked in on her dad and Ted, who were both playing a game of tee-ball in the backyard. Ana decided to join them, and for the next couple hours the three of them had a great time hitting a wiffle ball with a plastic bat and chasing each other around the pretend bases. Once Ted got too tired to continue, Ana carried him upstairs to his room for a nap while Ray went to finish up some work in the carpentry shop.

Once alone, Ana went to her room and began rifling through her closet to find a good dress to wear on her date tonight. She honestly wasn't sure if she owned anything nice enough for a formal dinner - most of her wardrobe consisted of jeans, t-shirts, and a couple Easter dresses. She eventually found a nice-looking purple short-sleeve dress with a scooped neckline that looked very pretty, and she knew the corsage Christian got her would look nice with it. She settled on this with a pair of classy black heels and her favorite diamond stud earrings.

An hour before Christian was meant to come and pick her up, Ana showered and shaved. Afterwards, she blow-dried her hair and lotioned her skin up before putting on her makeup; it had been a long time since she had last worn eyeliner and mascara, but tonight was a special occasion. She then put on her pretty dress, earrings, and heels before making her way downstairs.

"Look at you, darling," Ray complimented as she walked into the kitchen. He and Ted were eating dinner together, and Ana smiled at the pair of them as she walked to the fridge to get her corsage. "You look beautiful."

"Pwetty!" Ted exclaimed, and Ana giggled.

"Thank you, guys," she said as she opened the fridge and took out the container, taking the corsage out of it and pinning it to her lapel. "Does this look alright?"

"It looks great, sweetheart," Ray said, and before Ana could say anything else, the doorbell rang. "Prince Charming awaits, my dear."

"Dad," Ana chided her father before grabbing her purse and phone from the kitchen table. "Have a good night, you two.

"Bye Mommy!" Ted called after his mother, and Ana blew him a kiss before walking down the hall and opening the door.

Christian stood on the threshold, looking dashing in a charcoal gray suit and a dark blue tie. The setting sun along the horizon glinted off his brushed-back copper hair, making him look like a male model ready for a photoshoot.

"Hi," Ana said shyly, smiling at him. Christian beamed at her, his eyes roving over her outfit.

"Hi," he said, finally looking into her eyes. "Wow Ana, you look… breathtaking."

"Thanks," Ana smiled, flushing with pleasure. "You look very handsome yourself."

"Thank you," Christian smiled. "Shall we?" he gestured toward his house next door.

"Sure," Ana smiled before taking his proffered hand and closing the door behind her.

~/~

Ana couldn't recall ever having been inside Christian's rental home, but it was just as beautiful and high-end as she had imagined it would be with its sleek, modern-looking design and expensive furnishings. All the lights were currently dimmed, and in the dining room there was a beautiful mahogany table covered in a dark red tablecloth, softly lit with a candlestick centerpiece. The delicious scent of grilled steak and garlic potatoes filled the whole house.

"This is amazing, Christian," Ana complimented, smiling as she gazed around the beautiful place.

"Gail did most of it," Christian admitted. "She decorated the living room and dining room before making dinner. She even whipped us up a dessert, although I had already told her she'd done enough."

"That was very sweet of her," Ana giggled. "Is she still here?"

"She and Taylor left about ten minutes ago. They're going to be staying over at Elliot's for the night," Christian explained, and he took her hand once again. "You and I are completely alone."

Ana blushed, feeling her heart pounding in chest. "Oh."

"Is that alright?" Christian asked, gazing at her. "That we're here alone?"

"That's perfectly fine," Ana said, smiling shyly at him, and Christian beamed back.

"I'm glad."

He led her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her so she could sit down. There were two places set with two plates covered in cloches, and Christian walked into the kitchen before reappearing with a bottle of wine.

"I picked a red wine I thought you'd like," Christian said, opening the bottle and pouring some into both their wine glasses. "It pairs well with the steak."

"I'm sure it will be lovely," Ana said as Christian set the bottle down. He then sat in his own seat adjacent to Ana before removing the cloches from their plates, revealing their steaming meal of filet mignon, baby red potatoes, asparagus, and garlic butter sauce. Ana inhaled deeply, smiling at the delicious scent.

"To our first date," Christian said, picking up his glass of wine. Ana picked her own glass up before clinking it with his and taking a sip. The wine was very sweet, but not overly so, which Ana liked.

They proceeded to eat their food, which tasted heavenly - the steak was cooked to perfection, and the potatoes along with the buttery asparagus stems tasted delicious. Ana would be sure to say thank you to Gail for this food the next time she saw her. In addition to the delectable meal, Ana and Christian were able to have some light conversation about various subjects, including work and family. These were all topics they'd talked about before, but tonight it felt much more meaningful.

"…Tell me something I don't know about you," Christian now said, pouring Ana and himself a third glass of wine. It was a couple hours later, their steaks long gone, and they were currently sharing the plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries Gail had prepared for them.

"There isn't really much I haven't told you," Ana giggled, biting into her third strawberry. She was feeling happy and buzzed from all the wine she drank tonight, as well as spending hours in close proximity to Christian.

"Come on, I'm sure there's something," Christian insisted with a smile, sipping from his own wine glass. He was clearly as buzzed and happy as Ana was. "How old were you when you had your first kiss?"

"Fifteen, and it was with my high school boyfriend Jose," Ana said. "We were in his old Volkswagon Beetle, and it was very awkward."

"Hm," Christian said, and there was an odd hard tone in his voice. "This Jose guy... does he live in Easton too?"

"No, he lived a few miles down the road in Roslyn," Ana said. "I have no idea if he's still there or not, but last I heard he was getting married to some girl."

"Hm," Christian humphed again, still looking rather put out as he took another sip of wine. Ana couldn't help but giggle.

"Christian, are you seriously jealous of some kid who kissed me nine years ago?" she asked skeptically, and Christian offered her a smirk.

"No, but I just don't like that he got to hold you and touch you and kiss you," Christian said sincerely, gazing into her eyes. "I want to be the one to do that."

Ana felt her heart rate spike as she stared back at Christian. Did he really want that with her? She cleared her throat. "Well, Jose and I were together only for a couple months, and we were in high school so we didn't really do all that much together except kiss. There isn't really much to be jealous over."

"On the contrary," Christian said, taking her hand in his own, and Ana's heart began to pound. "I'm jealous of Jose and any other fucker who's touched you in some way. I'm a jealous man, Ana, and when I want something, I want _all_ of it."

The way he said that made tingles shoot through Ana's spine. A part of her couldn't help but feel pleased that Christian wanted her so badly, because she wanted him too. "Well, aside from yourself there isn't really anyone else to be jealous over," she said wryly.

Christian blinked, gazing at her with a hint of confusion. "There's been no one else?"

Ana shook her head. "No."

"Really?" he asked skeptically. "Who did you lose your virginity to?"

Ana blushed, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. She hadn't discussed this topic with him, or any guy before, and she wasn't keen to admit to Christian that she was still a virgin. "Um…"

Her hesitation made Christian realize what she was trying to say. "Ana, are you telling me that you've... never had sex before?"

Ana blushed bright red. "I already told you that I don't date," she muttered, not looking at him. God, she felt so embarrassed talking about this.

Christian didn't say anything for several moments, clearly still shocked by this revelation. "Wow Ana, I… I can't believe that someone like you is still a virgin! And you're a mother too, no less."

"I'm well aware of the irony," Ana murmured, embarrassment still pounding through her bloodstream. She still felt a bit fuzzy from the wine as she got to her feet. "I should probably go now."

"What? No!" Christian said quickly, jumping to his feet too. "Why would you leave? Please don't go, Ana."

"I don't want to talk about this, Christian. I'm embarrassed enough as it is," Ana shook her head, eyes cast downward as she made her way to the door. "It's probably best if I just go."

She was about halfway across the living room when Christian suddenly grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her around so she was facing him. The next moment, his lips were on hers, kissing her with a passion she had never experienced before. She froze for a moment before responding to his kiss, placing her hands on his shoulders as Christian's arms went around her waist, holding her tight. He opened his mouth and tangled his tongue with hers, making Ana feel weak in the knees.

"Fuck, Ana," Christian finally broke their kiss, panting as he stared deep into her eyes, inches away from her face. "You have no idea how much I want you. The thought of you as a virgin is so fucking hot."

Ana let out a gasp, her heart pounding at his words. "Really?"

"God yes," Christian groaned before leaning down and kissing her along her jaw and up toward her earlobe, making her sigh. "I've wanted you ever since I first laid eyes on you, but now that I know that no one's ever touched you… fuck, I can't even tell you what that does to me, Ana. I want you so much."

Ana's embarrassment quickly turned into arousal as she moaned, running her fingers through Christian's hair as he lightly nipped at her earlobe. While she didn't have much experience in these matters, she knew where this evening was heading, and she needed Christian to have no doubt in his mind what she wanted from him.

"Make love to me, Christian."

Christian pulled away from her to stare into her eyes, clearly surprised she had asked him that. "Ana… are you sure?"

Ana nodded, having never felt more sure about anything else in her life. "I'd been saving myself for so long Christian, but I feel like I was only doing it because I didn't know what I was looking for. It wasn't until I met you when I realized what I wanted, even though I was reluctant to admit it at first. I want _you_ Christian - please make love to me."

Christian didn't need telling twice. In one swift motion, he had picked Ana up in his arms and carried her into his bedroom, and Ana giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his erection against her center.

"I'm going to make this good for you, baby," Christian promised her, depositing her on his bed before gazing deep into her eyes. "You've waited a long time for this, and it's going to be special. I'll make sure of it."

Ana couldn't help but smile, affection filling her heart as she gazed back at Christian. "It already is."

Christian gave her a wide, panty-dropping smile before leaning in and kissing her again with all the passion he had exhibited earlier. Ana responded in kind, opening her mouth against his as she boldly pushed his suit jacket off of his shoulders. Christian smiled against her before pulling away slightly.

"I assume you're not on birth control?" Christian asked, loosening his tie, and Ana felt her heart sink.

"No, I'm not," she said, afraid that meant they had to stop.

Christian chuckled, however. "It's okay, baby. I have a condom," he said before pressing his lips to hers once again, alleviating her worries.

Ana kissed him back before allowing herself to be lowered back onto the bed, and Christian began to pull her dress down her shoulders, exposing her bra straps. Ana let him pull her dress off of her completely, leaving her in only her underwear, and she reached behind her to unclasp her bra.

"Oh fuck, Ana," Christian moaned as she revealed her naked breasts to him. With almost indecent haste, he stood up and quickly removed his tie before unbuttoning his shirt. "You look so fucking sexy right now, Ana. I want you so much."

"Christian," Ana gasped, and the next moment Christian was on top of her in only his boxer briefs, kissing her with a fervent passion once again. Ana giggled against him as he reached up to fondle her breasts in his hands.

"So beautiful," Christian whispered, running his thumbs over her pert nipples. "So fucking sexy, Ana."

"Please Christian," Ana moaned, the sensations he was producing inside her were building in a quick crescendo. "I need you."

Christian groaned before kissing her firmly on the lips once more and reaching for something on the bedside table. Ana didn't see what he grabbed, but she heard the sound of a crinkling wrapper before he pulled down his boxer briefs, revealing his huge erection.

Ana could only stare as Christian put the condom on, feeling almost nervous for what was about to happen. Christian noticed the expression on her face and smiled slightly.

"Don't worry baby - we'll fit together just fine," he said, moving back onto the bed so he was hovering over her. "Are you ready?"

Ana bit her lip as she gazed into his eyes. She nodded, and he smiled at her.

"Let's get these panties off of you first," Christian growled before hooking his fingers through the black lace and pulling them down her legs, his hands skimming along her smooth skin. Ana shivered with arousal.

"Christian," Ana sighed as he moved on top of her again, the tip of his erection against her wet center. "Please."

"This is going to hurt at first a little baby, but I promise it'll start to feel good," he whispered against her lips, and Ana nodded to show she understood. In one swift movement, Christian had pushed inside of her, sheathing himself, and Ana gasped at the sudden pain she felt. She clenched her eyes shut, willing the pain to subside, and after a moment or two it did. Opening her eyes, she saw Christian gazing at her with concern and desire.

"You feel so fucking good Ana," Christian grit out, panting as he tried to control himself. "Are you okay baby?"

Ana nodded, chest heaving as she got used to the feeling of Christian's cock inside of her. "Please move."

With a groan, Christian began to slowly thrust, rocking in and out of her at a gentle pace. Ana closed her eyes, absorbing the amazing feeling of Christian moving in and out of her. He began to move faster, causing the pleasure to ripple through her body more intensely, and Ana keened, arching her back.

"You're so perfect Ana," Christian murmured, taking one of her breasts in her mouth and sucking on her nipple. "So fucking perfect."

Ana moaned as she began to feel the pleasure inside of her building up in a crescendo, ready to burst forth in a glorious release. Christian's thrusts began to speed up, indicating he was getting close to the finish line too. Ana gasped as she felt Christian reach between them and rub her clit, stimulating her even more.

"Come on, Ana. Give it to me!"

With a cry, Ana obeyed and came hard around his dick, spasming as the pleasure rocked through her body. With a grunt, Christian stilled as he came inside of her, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he did so.

After a moment or two, they both came down from their highs, panting heavily as they basked in the afterglow what they'd just done.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, I hope you enjoyed reading that :) Next chapter, something else happens to the town of Easton.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!**


	17. Talking About the News

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Talking About the News**

"I don't see why you can't stay the night."

Ana smiled sadly as she sat on the edge of Christian's bed, slipping her heels back onto her feet. "I told you why I can't, Christian. I have responsibilities back home I can't ignore."

"Your dad's still watching Ted, and they both know you're here," Christian said, an adorable pout on his face. He was still naked under the covers while Ana was fully dressed, getting ready to leave. "Why can't you just stay for tonight?"

"Because they're expecting me back, and my dad would definitely get suspicious if I didn't come back until tomorrow morning," Ana said, giving him an amused look.

"Oh come on, your dad loves me," Christian said, reaching forward to tug Ana's arm. She complied to his persistence and leaned down, kissing him on the lips. He groaned against her.

"He'd love you a lot less if he knew you'd taken his daughter's virtue. On the first date no less," Ana pulled away slightly, quirking an eyebrow at him as she smiled. Christian couldn't help but grin lewdly.

"Hell yeah I did," he smirked, and Ana smacked his arm, giggling.

"Shut up," She snickered before pecking him on the lips one more time. "I have to go."

"Wait - let me ask you something," Christian still held onto Ana's arm and pulled her closer so she was half laying on top of him, causing her to giggle again.

"What is it?" she asked coquettishly, fingering the edge of the blanket covering his naked waist.

The amusement faded from his face as he gazed into her eyes. "How was it for you?"

Ana's smile faded as well, hearing the sincerity in his voice. "Are you asking if I enjoyed my first time?"

"Yeah. I mean…" Christian reached up and scratched the back of his head, looking slightly uncomfortable, and Ana's heart melted. "It was your first time, and I wanted to make it special for you. I hadn't planned on taking your virginity tonight, and I'm just afraid I was too… overcome… by you to be gentle enough."

"Christian," Ana beamed at him before leaning in and kissing him deeply. Christian immediately responded, cupping her face in his hand before pushing his fingers in her hair.

Ana pulled away slightly, gazing lovingly into his eyes. "What we did was perfect, Christian. It was amazing and romantic and everything I ever wanted it to be. There isn't a single thing I would change about it."

Christian smiled widely, happy with that answer. "Then can I ask you another question?" he asked, bringing his other hand to her waist and pulling her closer. "Can we do this again tomorrow night? Same time, same place?"

"I'd like that," Ana said sincerely, smiling at him, and Christian beamed back. "But seriously, I do need to go now…"

"But can I ask you another question?" Christian asked, pulling her even closer. Ana laughed again, realizing what he was doing. "Can I see you naked right now?"

"Christian!" Ana squealed, trying to pull away from him. "Stop it! I need to go now."

"Alright," Christian pretended to pout, finally letting go of her. "Let me get some clothes on and I'll walk you home."

"Okay," Ana smiled, finally getting to her feet. "And then I'll see you tomorrow morning at the jobsite?"

"Absolutely," Christian smiled at her, and Ana grinned back.

* * *

 **~The next morning~**

Ana had a noticeable glow about her the following morning, one she was sure her father noticed as they got ready for the day. Ray thankfully didn't ask Ana for details about the date during breakfast, but rather asked what time she got back last night since he and Ted had already gone to bed.

"I got back around midnight," Ana said, glancing down at her plate of scrambled eggs and toast to hide the blush in her cheeks. "We just had a nice dinner and conversation."

"Well, I'm glad you had a good time, sweetheart," Ray smiled at her. "I think it's about time you met a nice young man and started putting yourself out there."

Ana blinked, giving her father a surprised look. "Really? Since when did you care if I date or not?"

"It doesn't matter to me what you do or don't do with your love life, Annie. All that really matters is that little guy over there," Ray nodded to Ted, who was sitting in front of the TV with his bowl of cereal. "As long as you're a good mother to him, I know that everything's going to be okay. But I have to say it's nice to see you truly happy for once… don't think I haven't noticed that little smile on your face every time Christian's name is mentioned."

Ana's blush deepened, and she couldn't help but grin slightly. "I am happy," she admitted. "Christian's a great guy."

"He is, and he really seems to like you," Ray smiled at his daughter. "He's great with Ted, too. I'd say you found yourself a good one, Annie."

"Thanks Dad."

It was almost time for Ana to go to the construction site, so she quickly finished her breakfast before getting Ted ready for the day. She was bringing him to the construction site today to give her dad a break from having to watch him so much lately, so she needed to hurry if they were going to get there on time. Once Ted had gotten dressed and brushed his teeth, the two of them headed out to the valley.

The LCH building was almost done at this point. The foundation and frame were finished, and Elliot and all the workers were currently putting up the building's siding and drywall. When Ana and Ted approached the site, however, she couldn't help but notice Christian was nowhere to be seen. She gazed around the area, feeling a little crestfallen.

"Hey guys," Elliot approached her and Ted, grinning broadly. "Good to see you two. So how was your date with Christian last night, Ana?" He gave her a suggestive grin, clearly wanting to know if she got lucky.

"It was fine, Elliot," Ana said firmly, pulling Ted closer to her, reminding him there was a child present. "Christian said he would meet us here this morning though. Is he here yet?"

"I guess not," Elliot said, gazing around the construction site. "I'm sure he'll be here soon. Come on, there are a few things to go over today before we put up the rest of the siding…"

Ana and Ted followed Elliot over to Andy, who was looking over some blueprints. The three adults all began discussing the logistics of getting most of the building's walls done today while Ted (who Ana remembered to put a hardhat on) played with a couple rocks and sticks nearby. Before Ana knew it an hour had passed without Christian showing his face at all, and she couldn't help but start to feel worried something had happened.

Just as she was about to call him, however, she saw his SUV pull up and park on the side of the road near the jobsite. Christian and Taylor both stepped out of it, and Ana felt immediately relieved.

"Hey bro," Elliot greeted his brother as he and Taylor approached. "Where've you been this morning?"

"Sorry I'm late. I got a phone call this morning," Christian explained apologetically. "It's actually something I need to talk about with you and the whole crew. Do you have a megaphone or something I could borrow?"

"Sure, just a sec."

Elliot hurried over to the foreman's trailer to grab the megaphone, and Christian walked over to greet Ana and Ted.

"Hey baby," Christian smiled, kissing Ana on the lips. "Hey Teddy."

"Hi," Ana said, feeling a bit surprised by the smile on his face. "What's going on?"

"You'll see," Christian grinned, pecking her on the lips once again.

Elliot returned with the megaphone, and Christian took it, walking a few steps away from the others so he could speak through it: " _ATTENTION EVERYBODY._ "

Most of the construction crew turned at the sound of his voice, and some of the others using loud equipment were quickly told to stop. Christian waved so they would all come closer, and they all began to crowd together near him.

"Can everybody hear me?" Christian spoke loudly, bringing the megaphone away from his face, and the construction crew all nodded. "Alright, I only need a minute of your time. Earlier this morning, I received a phone call from the producers at KOMO Seattle Local News, and they said they'd like to do a story about our reconstruction efforts here in Easton. Around noon today, a camera crew and reporter are going to come by to interview me and get a few shots of the jobsite before filming the main part of town. Just be aware there's going to be some cameras around for a few hours today - you can keep doing your jobs, just try not to get in their way while they're here. Alright?"

The crew all nodded and murmured their agreement of that. Ana beamed widely at Christian, now understanding why he was late this morning. The Seattle local news actually wanted to do a story about him! She wasn't surprised though, since it was a truly amazing thing Christian did for their town. It was precisely the type of 'feel-good' story local news stations liked to report on.

The construction guys soon dispersed and Christian walked back over to Ana and Ted. Ana couldn't help but move forward and throw her arms around Christian's neck, kissing him on the lips.

"Christian, this is amazing," she exclaimed happily. "The local news wants to do a story about you!"

"Well, it's more about Easton's reconstruction," Christian said fairly, though he smiled too. "But yeah, I was surprised to get that phone call this morning."

"This entire town's reconstruction wouldn't have been possible without you," Ana said seriously. "That news crew probably wants to hear all about how you saved Easton after the storm. It's a great story, and I'm sure everyone in town would agree you deserve to be recognized for what you did. I'm so proud of you."

Christian gazed at Ana for a moment before smiling, the tender expression in his eyes making Ana's heart pound. He wrapped his arms around her waist before pulling her close and pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss, and Ana happily kissed him back.

"Would you be willing to show me how proud you are of me, baby?" Christian pulled away slightly and whispered in her ear. "Maybe later tonight?"

"Christian!" Ana giggled, quickly pulling away to make sure Ted hadn't heard what he said. Luckily, Ted had run off with Elliot nearby, who was showing him all the trucks and equipment on the jobsite. "You're lucky Ted didn't hear you say that."

"You're right. My apologies," Christian smirked, letting go of her waist. "Shall we get to work?"

"Lead the way," Ana grinned up at him. Christian took her hand in his own before they walked together over to where Elliot and Ted were.

* * *

Sure enough, around noon that day several large vans and SUVs with the KOMO News logo on them pulled up on the road near the jobsite. One of the vans had a large antenna and satellite dish sticking out of the roof, and once they parked, the satellite began to extend upward at least ten feet into the sky. Multiple people in matching windbreakers and badges stepped out of the vans and onto the jobsite, conversing with one another. A few of them were even carrying large cameras and recording equipment.

Suddenly, the back doors of a nearby SUV opened up and a gorgeous blonde woman in a royal blue dress and high heels stepped out. She was holding a microphone and a thick file folder in her hands, and when she approached Christian and Ana on the jobsite, her poise and confidence made it clear that she was the news reporter for this story. Ana vaguely recognized her face from a couple billboards she often passed by when driving down the highway.

"Hello, you must be Christian Grey," the blonde woman smiled sweetly at Christian before holding out her hand to shake. "My producer spoke with you over the phone. I'm Kate Kavanagh, field reporter for KOMO Seattle News."

"Nice to meet you," Christian shook her hand. "I'm Christian, and this is Ana Steele."

"Hi," Ana smiled at her.

"Why hello," Kate Kavanagh smiled and shook Ana's hand. "You and your construction crew are doing some amazing work out here, Ms. Steele. If you don't mind, our camera guys are just going to get some shots of you all working before I'm going to interview Christian."

"Oh, I'm not a part of the construction crew," Ana shook her head. "I just live here in Easton."

"Oh, fun! Well you must feel so lucky to have a guy like Christian to rebuild your home for you," Kate smiled compassionately, but there was a certain condescending tone to her voice that made Ana raise her eyebrows.

"Actually, my home isn't -"

"You know, all of us at KOMO News think it's truly inspirational what you did for the people in this town, Christian," Kate overrode Ana, addressing Christian with a bright smile. "My crew is just getting set up at the moment, but we'd like to take a few minutes to talk to you about what you did and how much of an impact it's had on Easton. We're probably going to do our interview over there in that small clearing in front of the jobsite - my producer will just come over and grab you once we're ready."

"Sounds good," Christian nodded.

Kate smiled before walking away toward one of the cameramen. Once she was gone, Ana and Christian glanced at each other.

"Wow, she was rude," Ana stated, and Christian gave a humorless chuckle.

"Hopefully she won't be here for too long," he said, though he sounded doubtful. "Are you and Ted going to stick around?"

"Yeah, I'm going to keep working with Elliot and Andy since the crew's finishing up the drywall and siding today. I should probably go grab my son before Elliot gets sick of him," Ana said, glancing over at them. Elliot was was currently giving Ted a piggyback ride while running around in circles, and Ted was squealing and giggling in delight.

"Actually, I think Elliot just made a new best friend," Christian said amusedly, and Ana laughed.

"I guess I have to go spoil their fun," Ana said, and she stepped toward Christian before pecking him on the lips. "I'll come and see you after your interview?"

"I look forward to it," Christian smiled lovingly at her, and Ana smiled back.

~/~

Over the next hour or so, Ana tried her best to concentrate on the work being done for the construction, but her eyes couldn't help but stray over to Kate Kavanagh interviewing Christian nearby. They were both standing in a clearing about fifty yards away with a camera, and Ana couldn't help but notice the way Kate was speaking to Christian - she had a big smile on her face as she held the microphone to his face, nodding and laughing coquettishly at everything he said. Every so often she would place her hand on his arm, a clearly affectionate move that made Ana's blood boil. Christian's body language was rather stiff, and he didn't reciprocate her friendly intimacy - whether or not he was truly annoyed by Kate's flirtatious behavior, however, Ana couldn't tell. She hated that she had to watch all this from afar.

Finally, the interview was over, and Kate and her team left the jobsite to head for the main part of town. Christian headed back over to where Ana and the others were, and Ana had a hard time hiding the grumpy expression on her face.

"Thank God that's over," Christian sighed once he stopped in front of Ana. He looked heartily annoyed. "I can't believe the nerve of that Kavanagh woman! She was asking me questions about the whole Elena Lincoln debacle from last year, and asked how it may have affected my decision to help Easton. As if that even matters!"

Ana didn't say anything, though she felt a pit form in her stomach at the thought of Kate Kavanagh questioning him about his sexual history. She watched as Ted ran around near the foreman's trailer, picking up sticks and rocks for his little collection.

"Ana?" Christian noticed her silence and took a step toward her, placing his hand on the small of her back. "What's wrong?"

Ana shrugged, finally glancing up at him. "I guess I just didn't like seeing that Kavanagh woman fawning all over you like that. The way she was smiling at you and touching your arm while she was talking to you… it was just gross. How could a professional news reporter behave like that toward someone she was interviewing?"

The pout in her voice was noticeable, and Christian laughed, causing her scowl to deepen. "Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny," she said grumpily as Christian chuckled in amusement. He pulled her into his arms.

"Baby, I'm sorry," he said, still smiling as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You're just cute when you're jealous."

"I am not jealous," Ana frowned up at him. "I just… I didn't like her, that's all."

"I didn't like her either," Christian said. "I've known women like Kate Kavanagh before - women who are brash and tenacious because they only feel validated when they're in control. You see women like that all the time in the business world… and yet none of them have ever managed to turn my head." Christian paused for a moment, gazing into Ana's eyes. "No woman has, until you."

Ana didn't say anything, though she couldn't help but smile slightly at his sweet words. He lifted his hand so he was cupping her cheek, lightly brushing it with his thumb. "You have absolutely no reason to be jealous of any woman," he said sincerely, and Ana's heart melted. "What you and I have Ana, I would never jeopardize - not in a million years."

Ana smiled up at him before leaning up and pecking him on the lips. "I know you wouldn't, Christian. I'm sorry if I was being stupid."

"You weren't, baby," Christian said, giving her a wide grin. "I actually kinda like that you're so jealous and possessive of me."

"Oh shut up," Ana smirked, smacking him on the arm, and Christian chuckled. "We should probably go and finish up with Elliot right now before we leave. I still have to get Ted home and make him lunch, and then I need to get ready for our second date tonight."

"Well then, what the hell are we waiting for?" Christian asked, and he quickly grabbed Ana's hand before dragging her over to where Elliot was. Ana couldn't help but laugh at his eagerness, happy to comply.

* * *

 **A/N: So now we met Kate lol. What did you think? Next chapter, the LCH construction will finally come to an end.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review and let me know! And if you haven't yet, make sure you friend me on Facebook. I go by the username Straw Paj.**


	18. Home Again

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Home Again**

Ana and Christian's second date was as wonderful as their first, with Gail making them a delicious Chinese stir fry dish which the two of them ate while cuddled up on the couch together in front of the TV. They were watching _Thor_ on Netflix, but neither of them were paying much attention to it as they ate their food and talked. Ana was telling Christian about what had happened earlier that evening, when her father caught her trying to pack an overnight bag.

"It was so awkward," she groaned, and Christian couldn't help but chuckle over his fried noodles. "I was planning on talking to him about me staying the night here, but of course he had to pass by my bedroom door the moment I was standing over my suitcase with a pair of panties and a bra in my hands. I've never seen him look more uncomfortable in my life."

"I'm sorry, baby," Christian chuckled, unable to help feeling amused. "But at least you were able to tell him that you're spending the night here."

"Yeah, but not before he started lecturing me about safe sex and reminding me to keep my phone on in case there's an emergency with Ted," Ana rolled her eyes before picking up her wine glass from the coffee table. "Believe me, I was relieved when you came to the door to pick me up so he could end his little speech."

"I'm glad I was able to help," Christian smirked. "Incidentally, I think Taylor's getting annoyed at me that he and Gail have to stay over at Elliot's again tonight so you and I could have a little privacy on our date."

"Well, I'll make sure to tell him I'm sorry," Ana grimaced apologetically. "And I'll make sure Gail knows I appreciate her making us dinner again."

"She's happy to do it," Christian smiled, taking a sip from his own wine glass. "And Taylor knows that we're not staying in Easton for much longer anyway, so he's willing to stick it out for a few more days."

Ana felt her heart plummet, realizing that he was right. The LCH construction was nearly finished at this point, so Christian had to go back to GEH in Seattle. He was no longer going to be living next door to her anymore, and she felt her spirits sink at the thought.

"Hey," Christian said, noticing Ana's expression. He set his wine glass down before taking her hand in his own,. "I'm sorry for bringing up Seattle. That wasn't appropriate to do on our date tonight."

"It's fine, Christian," Ana shook her head, grimacing slightly. "I knew from the beginning you couldn't stay in Easton forever. I'm just going to miss you, that's all."

"Oh baby, I'm going to miss you too," Christian said sincerely, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek, giving her a small smile. "If I could, I would stay here in Easton with you and Ted forever, but I have work back in Seattle I can't ignore or pass off anymore."

"I understand. Your work is important," Ana nodded. "I don't want to stand in the way of that."

Christian didn't say anything for a moment, but he frowned as he brought his hand away from her face. "Ana, I don't want you to ever think that I'm choosing my work over you. Both you and Ted have become incredibly important to me over these past few weeks, and I would never jeopardize what we have going on right now with my work in Seattle. Please know that."

Ana couldn't help but smile. "I appreciate you saying that, Christian. Do you think Ted and I could come up and visit you in Seattle sometime?"

"Nothing would make me happier," Christian beamed widely at her. "So long as you and I are calling, texting, or Skyping every minute we're not together."

Ana couldn't help but giggle. "I don't even have Skype."

"I'll take care of that," Christian brushed aside easily. "If you and I are going to be seeing each other long distance, you can absolutely guarantee we're going to have some private bedroom Skype sessions with each other."

Ana blushed, unable to help feeling incredibly turned on by the thought of having Skype sex with him. "Sounds like fun," she murmured, biting her lip.

Christian smirked before taking his plate and Ana's and setting both back on the coffee table, "Oh, I'll show you fun," he growled, and he immediately lunged forward and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Their mouths exchanged heated nips and licks, their tongues tangling together in a sensual dance, and Ana's heart thudded in her chest. Her appetite immediately shifted from food to something else more carnal as she brought her hands up to tangle in his hair.

"Bedroom," she breathed against his mouth, and with a smile Christian immediately scooped her up in his arms, getting to his feet. Ana squealed in delight as he rushed toward his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him.

* * *

Saturday and Sunday at the jobsite were busier than ever with the whole crew finishing up the final stages of the construction. There were still a couple minor details to hash out, like Andy the foreman needing to do some final checks before Elliot ordered all the furniture. However, by the end of the day Sunday, the crew had actually finished the entire building's structure.

The LCH building project was officially over and done with. On Monday morning, everyone came to the jobsite to hear the announcement from Elliot:

"Thank you to everyone for your hard work and dedication over this past month," Elliot spoke through the megaphone so the whole crowd of people could hear. "I know it hadn't been easy, with some initial delays at the beginning and some pretty bad weather near the end, but we pulled through and managed to get the LCH building up by our deadline. You all have done a fantastic job, so please give yourselves a big round of applause!"

The whole crowd erupted in loud applause, some of the workers even whooping in celebration. Ana and Christian clapped along with everyone else, exchanging smiles with each other.

"Great job everyone!" Elliot grinned widely at the crowd of workers. "And of course, we have to give a big thank you to the people of Easton for accommodating us and allowing us to build on their land. The mayor of Easton, Mr. Greg Clayton, actually has a few words to share with you all today."

Elliot stepped aside and handed the megaphone to Greg, who was standing nearby.

"Good morning, everyone," Greg smiled at the crowd as he spoke through the megaphone. "On behalf of everyone in Easton, I would like to thank Christian and Elliot Grey, as well as all of Grey Construction, for building this beautiful new business in our town. We are all truly thankful the Grey's came to our town when they did, and for everything they've done for us in the few short weeks they've been here. As a thank you to them, our town is going to throw a little barbeque tonight around sundown. It'll be at my home, about a block away from _The Angler's Head_ , and we'll have good food, beer, and music. It'll be a lot of fun, and you all are welcome - I hope you can all make it!"

Everybody cheered again, excited at the prospect of a having a party tonight. Ana grinned as she clapped along with everyone else, knowing that Greg Clayton always threw the best parties. His five acres of gorgeous grassy land had an idyllic view of the Cascade Mountains, and it was the perfect place for tons of people to gather for a fun summer outdoor barbeque.

"That sounds like fun," Christian noted to Ana once the applause died down.

"Oh, Greg's barbeques are the best," Ana grinned. "With the whole town and construction crew coming, it should be really awesome."

Christian smiled. "Well, we have the rest of the day free until his party tonight. Maybe you, me, and Ted could go do something together?"

"Oh, I was actually going to go help Greg set up for the party today," Ana said.

Christian looked surprised. "Did he ask you to help?"

"No, but that's just what we do for parties here in Easton. All of us in town come together and pitch in to help however we can." Ana gave him an amused smirk. "Did you think this was going to be like one of your fancy professionally-catered soirees back in Seattle?"

Christian chuckled, looking a bit embarrassed. "No, I guess not. I just didn't really think about it - is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well, I was going to help prepare the food. If you don't want to do that, you can always help set up tables and chairs if you don't mind some physical labor. My dad usually helps out with that stuff."

"Alright, I'll do that," Christian smiled. "As long as I get to spend time with you during the party, I don't care what I have to do beforehand."

Ana giggled. "I'm glad to hear it… and maybe afterward, you and I can have our own little private afterparty."

"Now you're talking," Christian growled, and Ana squealed as he pulled her toward him and kissed her on the mouth. Ana happily kissed him back.

* * *

 **~That evening~**

Greg Clayton's party was in full swing.

His vast backyard had been decked out with dozens of picnic tables, chairs, outdoor string lights, and tiki torches thanks to Christian and some of the other men in town who had helped set up. Ana and many of the other ladies had helped all afternoon with the food - there were dishes upon dishes of potato salad, chips, veggies, grilled chicken, hamburgers, corn on the cob, and fruit salad. Everything was laid out buffet-style outside as people filled their plates with food, and all the townspeople chatted and mingled with each other as they watched their kids playing together out in the nearby field.

"Teddy looks like he's having fun," Christian chuckled, watching as he ran around playing tag with about ten other kids his age.

"He's going to sleep well tonight, I'll tell you that much," Ana smirked, popping a chip in her mouth. She and Christian were sitting together with a group of people at one of the picnic tables while Ray was off somewhere talking to his buddies. The light of the setting sun along the mountainous horizon cast a gorgeous glow across the entire party, making this summer evening look absolutely perfect.

"So is Ted in school yet?" Christian asked, taking a swig of his beer.

"He'll be starting kindergarten in September," Ana nodded. "I'm honestly a little nervous for school to start, but at the same time I think it'll be nice to have a few hours of peace and quiet in the house everyday."

"That'll be nice. Before you know it, he'll be out of the house for good," Christian smirked, and Ana giggled.

"Excuse me, everyone!" someone shouted above the noise of the crowd, and everyone quieted. Greg was standing in front of his house next to a large white sheet hanging down the wall, where a TV screen was being projected. "Everybody, look this way - Easton's on the news!"

Everybody cheered excitedly, and they all quieted as soon as the KOMO News opening appeared on the projection. Greg turned up the volume:

" _Good evening, everyone. My name is Mike Richards with KOMO Seattle news, here to bring you the latest in current events. Tonight we have our very own Kate Kavanagh reporting on the tragic, but also inspiring, news out of Easton, Washington…"_

The screen then cut to a wide shot of Easton, and a voiceover of Kate began talking about the devastation that had occurred over the past weekend when the storm hit. Ana's heart clenched as she saw the still-ravaged homes and buildings.

Kate then segued into Christian's role in Easton's recovery process, and the camera cut to Kate interviewing Christian on the jobsite from only a few days ago. Everyone in the party began to cheer, and Ana and Christian exchanged wide grins.

" _My brother and I had been in the process of building a new business out here in Easton when the storm hit,"_ Christian was saying onscreen. " _The whole town was in ruin, and I knew I had to do something to help. There was never even a question of whether or not I should help - it was just the right thing to do._ "

Kate then went on to explain how Christian had paid for all the reconstruction efforts in town, which was estimated to be nearly a million dollars. Several other townspeople then gave interviews outside their storm-ravaged homes, talking about how thankful they were for Christian and for everything he had done for their town. Ana wondered if Kate was going to go into Christian's past with Elena, but thankfully the news segment ended before that.

Everyone in the crowd applauded wildly once it finished, and Greg, still standing near the front, held his bottle of beer in the air.

"To Christian Grey!"

" _To Christian Grey!_ " everyone chorused. Ana lifted her bottle of beer into the air as well, smiling over at Christian before taking a sip. Christian grinned back, looking almost embarrassed by all the attention. Luckily, at that moment all the children decided to finish up their game of tag and run back to their parents.

"Hi Cwistan!" Ted grinned as he ran up to him and Ana. "We pwayed tag and I was it!"

"Wow, that's awesome!" Christian grinned enthusiastically. Ted made a move to sit down next to Christian at the picnic table, but Christian instead lifted him up and perched him on his lap. Ana giggled as Ted eagerly turned to Christian's plate of food and tried to pick up his hamburger.

"Teddy, how about I go get you a plate of food?" Ana said, getting to her feet.

"Oh no, it's fine," Christian grinned in amusement as he watched Ted excitedly digging into his meal. Ana rolled her eyes, giggling.

"I'll be right back," she said, and because she wanted to, moved around the table and pressed a kiss to Christian's cheek, causing him to smile at her. She then kissed the top of Ted's head before walking over to the buffet table.

She began filling up a paper plate for Ted when she heard someone approach her from her left. She looked over to see Paul Clayton approaching her, hobbling a little as his left leg was still encased in a boot.

"Hey Ana," he greeted her, his voice sounding a little flat.

"Hi Paul," Ana said. "How's you leg doing?"

"It's getting better," he said simply, and he paused for a moment. "So are you and Christian Grey dating?"

"What?" Ana blinked, frowning at him.

"I saw you kiss him just now," he said, unable to hide the bitter edge in his voice as he glanced over at Christian at the picnic table. "And you've been really affectionate with him all day. Are you dating him?"

"That's none of your business," Ana said, feeling her cheeks go red. "Why should it even matter to you?"

"You know why," Paul said, glaring at her. "I've always liked you Ana, and you and I have known each other practically our whole lives. But this random dude comes to town for like two minutes and you're already all over him!"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Ana said coldly. "It's my life, and I can do what I want with it. You don't get to have some sort of claim over me simply because you've known me longer than he has. I like Christian, and I've made it clear to you over the years that I'm not interested in you like that. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Jesus Ana, you barely know this guy," Paul said, his voice rising in anger. "He's just some rich douchebag who likes to throw his money around to lowly peasants like us to make him feel good about himself."

"Are you serious?" Ana felt herself getting angrier too. "That 'rich douchebag' just single-handedly rebuilt our entire town and saved your life when you were trapped under that tree! Or have you forgotten already?"

Paul scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I would've gotten out from under that tree eventually. And it was Elliot Grey who actually saved me from it."

"Whatever," Ana shook her head, turning away from him to continue getting food for Ted. "You're just being a baby, Paul. I like Christian and he likes me, and you're just going to have to live with it."

"Yeah right. We'll see how long he likes you once he realizes he has to play Daddy for your son," Paul sneered. Before Ana could respond, however, someone approached them.

"Everything alright over here?" Christian asked, eyeing Paul suspiciously. He was carrying Ted on his hip, Ted hugging him around the neck, and Paul went red with anger as he stared at the two of them.

"Everything's fine," he muttered, finally looking away. "Ana and I were just talking."

"Paul?" Greg suddenly approached, looking angry as he stopped in front of his son. "Paul, what the hell are you doing?"

"He was just leaving," Christian said in a hard voice, fixing Paul with an angry look. "Right Paul?"

"Jesus son, how many times have I told you to leave Ana alone?" Greg snapped, grasping his son by the upper arm. "Come back over here and stop bugging her."

Paul reluctantly allowed his father to pull him away, and Ana, Christian, and Ted walked back over to their table. Christian was clearly pissed off and was trying to rein in his temper.

"Ana, I do not trust that guy to be around you when I'm not here," Christian said as soon as they sat down. Ted sat down next to Ana and immediately dug into his food. "How can I know he's not going to start harassing you the moment my back is turned?"

"Paul's just pissed off because he found out you and I are seeing each other," Ana grimaced. "I doubt there's anything he would do to actually hurt me or Ted. But if he tries anything, I'll kick his butt."

Ted snickered at the word 'butt', and Christian couldn't help but smile slightly at him.

"I hope you're right. If he confronts you again or makes you uncomfortable at all, I want to know about it okay? Promise me you'll tell me, no matter what - that guy clearly doesn't understand when no means no."

"I promise I'll tell you," Ana said sincerely, and Christian smiled at her.

"Good."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, we'll get to see Ana and Christian begin to navigate their long-distance relationship.**

 **If you liked this chapter, be sure to leave a review! :)**


	19. A Trip to the City, Pt 1

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: A Trip to the City Pt. 1**

Tuesday morning, Ana woke up alone in her bed feeling forlorn and sad. She remembered that Christian was heading back to Seattle today, and she didn't even get the chance to spend the night at his place since Ted had been in an extremely fussy mood after the party last night. So she stuck around at home to put him to bed, leaving her and Christian to spend the night at their respective homes. Christian was obviously disappointed she couldn't come over, but he was nice and understanding about it all the same. He told Ana he at least wanted to see her before he, Elliot, Taylor and Gail had to head back to Seattle on Tuesday morning, and Ana agreed.

Ana now showered and dressed before she went to wake up Ted for the day. He was still pretty grumpy from the night before, but when Ana told him they were going to go see Christian, he perked up right away. They went downstairs together, and Ana was a little surprised to see her dad wasn't up yet; he wasn't working either since the carpentry shop's lights were out and the doors were shut. Frowning, Ana took Ted's hand and walked out the front door, finally seeing her dad next door talking to Christian in his driveway. Smiling to herself, Ana picked up Ted in her arms before making her way over to them.

"…And this one was when we visited Yosemite," Ray was saying to Christian, handing him a picture in his hand. "Ted was two years old there, and Ana had accidentally brushed against some poison ivy during our hike. She was itching like crazy for the entire day."

"Hey," Ana said, walking up to them as Christian laughed. "Dad, why are you telling Christian that story?"

Ray and Christian both chuckled at the pout in her voice. "Christian here said he'd like some pictures of you and Ted before he left for Seattle," Ray explained. "So I dug out the old shoebox with all our family photos and gave him a few."

Christian was holding a stack of photos in his hands, and he was thumbing through each of them with a wide grin on his face. "These are all great, Ray - thank you so much. Are you sure it's alright if I take these?"

"It's totally fine, I have tons more," Ray smiled. "In fact, I can take a few pictures of you, Ana, and Ted before you have to leave today."

"That's a great idea, Dad," Ana grinned.

"Sounds perfect," Christian said, his eyes sparkling as he looked over at Ana.

Ray pulled out his phone as Ana, Ted, and Christian all posed together on the driveway for pictures. First it was all three of them together with Ted in the middle, and then just Ted and Christian, Ted hugging Christian tightly around the neck as Christian held him in his arms. Finally, Ana and Christian posed for the camera together, their arms around each other as they looked into each others eyes, smiling widely. Despite her father and son being here with them, Ana couldn't help but feel her heartbeat quicken with desire for Christian, having a sudden urge for him make love to her before he left for Seattle. As if reading her mind, Christian leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, and Ray managed to snap a picture of the sweet moment.

"Watch yourself around my daughter, Grey," Ray joked, bringing his phone back down, and Christian laughed. Ana blushed, feeling embarrassed. "I'm just joking with you guys. Actually, I think Ted and I are gonna head back home and give you two a few minutes to say goodbye to each other. Come here, buddy."

Ray picked up Ted in his arms before making his way across the yard back to the house. Once they were out of sight, Christian took Ana by the hand and dragged her around toward the back of the house so they were hidden from view. Ana giggled as she followed him, and squealed in delight as Christian pushed her up against the wall.

"Thank God," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers in an urgent kiss. Ana didn't hesitate to kiss him back, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him close.

 _God, I'm going to miss him._

After several long, blissful moments, Christian finally pulled away. "I really missed you last night," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers as he gazed into her eyes.

"I missed you too," Ana breathed, looking up at him too. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay over."

"It wasn't your fault," Christian chuckled, pulling away slightly. "Is Ted doing alright?"

"Yeah, he just gets fussy sometimes before bed," Ana grimaced. "Yesterday was a busy day for him, and now that you're leaving I think he's really going to be in a foul mood for awhile."

Christian's loving smile made Ana smile as well. "I'm really going to miss him. I'll miss both of you… when do you think I'll be able to see you guys again?"

"Well, since my work at the construction site is over and done with, I'll just be going back to helping out my dad with the carpentry shop on the weekdays," Ana said. "Maybe Ted and I can drive up one weekend and visit you?"

Christian beamed. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, baby. Unfortunately, I have some business to do down in California this weekend, but the next weekend I should be free. Would you and Ted like to come to Seattle and we can spend a few days together? Just the three of us?"

Ana smiled widely, loving that idea. "That sounds wonderful, Christian. We'd love to come."

"Great," Christian grinned before leaning down and brushing his lips against hers, causing her to smile once again. "I'll be counting the days until I see you again," he whispered against her mouth. Ana smiled, feeling her heart pound with a whole plethora of emotions.

"I will too, Mr. Grey. I will too."

~/~

Christian, Gail, Taylor, and Elliot all prepared to leave Easton soon after that, and several people from town, including Greg Clayton, came down to say goodbye. Unsurprisingly, Paul didn't show his face, and Greg made no mention of what had happened last night - he instead shook Christian's hand and thanked him for everything he'd done for the town of Easton. Christian graciously accepted his thanks, saying how much he was going to miss this place when he was gone.

"Honestly, I can't tell you how happy I am my brother decided to build his business here in this valley," Christian said, and Ana saw his eyes move to hers as he smiled. "If he hadn't, I never would have met Ana."

Greg chuckled as Ana blushed. "That's very true," he said with a smile. "Having known Ana her whole life, I'll tell you right now that she's a real treasure. You better treat her well and make her happy."

"I will, Greg," Christian nodded with conviction, and Ana couldn't help but smile to herself, slightly embarrassed but also pleased.

There was no doubt in her mind that Christian made her extremely happy.

After one more round of hugs and goodbyes - Ana and Christian giving each other one final farewell kiss - the Grey party all got into their packed SUV and drove off down the highway. Ana watched them until they disappeared into the distance, her heart clenching with sadness as she thought about when she was going to see Christian again.

* * *

 **~The following week~**

Over the next week, things in Easton settled back into what it had been before the Grey's came to town, the only difference being the newly-constructed LCH building down in the valley. It was going to be about a month or so before Elliot opened it up for business, so for now it just sat as an empty structure in a field of excavated dirt.

Ana and her father continued with their work at Steele Woodworking, currently building a new armoire for a rich couple in Vancouver. Ana had honestly missed doing this type of work with her father on a regular basis - she had been so busy helping out at the construction site for the past few weeks that she hadn't been able to help her father at the carpentry shop. He'd been doing most of the work himself, and while he didn't mind manual labor, Ana could tell he was happy to have his helping hand back.

As expected, Ana and Christian had kept in touch ever since he'd been back in Seattle. The day after he left, Ana had actually received a package in the mail: it was a brand new top-of-the-line Apple Macbook laptop with a wireless router and built-in webcam for Skyping. Ana was stunned by this amazing gift, touched that Christian was generous and thoughtful enough to get her a whole new computer, and even Ray, who didn't put much stock in modern technology, couldn't help but be impressed by their new piece of hardware.

Ana soon got the computer up and running, as well as got a Skype account set up, and she and Christian began having daily Skype sessions where they would chat with each other for hours on end. Ted and Ray would sometimes join in their conversations, but for the most part it was just Ana and Christian alone in their rooms. They would usually chat with each other late at night when no one else was around - their favorite thing to do was engage in Skype sex, but only if they were able to keep the noise level down.

"You look phenomenal tonight, baby," Christian growled as he got a good look of Ana lying in her bed beside her laptop, wearing nothing but a navy blue bra and panty set. Her chestnut brown curls hung long and loose around her shoulders.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Ana giggled, eyeing his shirtless chest as he lay in his own bed, accentuated by the glow of his computer screen. "I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"Less than twenty-four hours," Christian smiled, looking delighted at the prospect of seeing her and Ted again. "Remember, my security guy Sawyer is driving down to pick you guys up at 11 AM. Once you get to Seattle you can sight-see for a bit since I'll be in meetings all day, and then you can swing by GEH at five o'clock so we can meet up to go out for dinner."

"Yes, I remember our schedule," Ana smirked at him, rolling her eyes. "I still don't see why you can't just let me drive to Seattle tomorrow."

"I'm sorry baby, but that truck of yours is a deathtrap. It's fifteen years old and definitely not safe for long trips," Christian frowned disapprovingly. "I already told you I want to buy you and your father a new truck."

"And I already told you, no," Ana scolded good-naturedly. "You're going to spoil us with all the expensive gifts you've been giving us."

"Trust me Ana, if you and I are going to be seeing each other, there's going to be a lot of gifts coming your way," Christian said seriously, but he smiled at her in a way that made her giggle. "I'm talking an entire Cartier store worth of diamonds, a whole warehouse of Agent Provocateur and Louboutins…"

"Stop it." Ana couldn't stop giggling.

"I'm serious! If you want the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower, all you have to do is say so baby. I'll get it for you."

Ana giggled again, dropping her head down onto her pillow and hunkering down into her comforter. "Mm, I know you would."

Christian smiled at her. "You tired baby?"

Ana nodded weakly, stifling a yawn. "Yeah. Sorry, it's been a long day."

"It's okay - go to sleep now," Christian said gently. "Do you want to leave your Skype open?"

With a smile, Ana nodded once again. It was what they had been doing the past few nights to keep each other company as they slept. "Goodnight Christian."

"Goodnight Ana."

Ana reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, not without giving Christian a good view of her cleavage through the webcam. The small groan coming from him made her smile - she honestly missed the feeling of Christian sleeping beside her in a bed, spooning her after they made love. Just the thought of him made her heart pound, and she felt even more impatient to go to Seattle tomorrow.

Ana settled back into her bed and closed her eyes, allowing the sound of Christian's gentle, even breathing lull her into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **~The next day~**

Seattle was just as beautiful as Ana remembered it to be.

She had come to the city a handful of times when she was younger, usually accompanied by Hannah and her dad, but ever since Ted became her son she hadn't really found the time to visit. Plus, she knew she wanted her and Ted's first trip to Seattle together to be a memorable one - now, with the promise of seeing Christian later today, this weekend was sure to be absolutely wonderful.

Luke Sawyer had picked up Ana and Ted at eleven o'clock as promised, and Ana had to admit it was nice being driven around in such a luxurious vehicle. It made a nice change from the rickety old truck she was used to driving around, at least. When they finally made it to the city, Sawyer brought their luggage to Christian's apartment, and Ana and Ted were then free to go exploring the city for a few hours.

Ana couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious as she adjusted the skirt of her dress. While she wasn't one to dress up very often, she wanted to look pretty the first time she and Christian saw each other. She had gone shopping last week and bought a pretty off-white sleeveless maxi dress with a slit up one of the legs, paired together with cute brown sandals and sunglasses. She put her long hair up in a messy bun, making it the perfect look for the summer. It felt fitting on his hot Friday afternoon as she and Ted began to explore the city together.

They began by walking around the bustling city blocks, ending up by the Space Needle and the International Fountain, where Ana made sure to take a bunch of pictures. She even posed for a few selfies with Ted before sending them off to Christian and her dad.

Ana let Ted run around the International Fountain for a bit, which was a big silvery fountain with spigots of water shooting up from the ground around it. Once he was tired from playing, Ana took him down the street to a small outdoor cafe, buying herself a cup of coffee and him a juice box.

"Are you excited to see Christian again today, Teddy?" Ana grinned, checking her watch and seeing it was now four-thirty.

"Yeah!" Ted exclaimed happily, bouncing in his seat. "I wanna see Cwistan! I wanna see Cwistan!"

His enthusiasm made Ana giggle. "Well then, come on sweetheart. We should get going now."

They finished their drinks before packing up their things and beginning their walk toward the Grey Enterprise Holdings building, which was several blocks away across some busy intersections. Ana made sure to hold tightly onto Ted's hand as they crossed the street with all the other pedestrians.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at the GEH building, which Ana was shocked to see was a massive steel and glass building much taller than any of the other skyscrapers around it. She knew Christian was rich, but this building here made it look like he was the richest man in the world!

 _He very well might be, too._

Shaking her head to herself, Ana pulled out her phone and quickly texted Christian:

 **A: Hey, we made it to GEH :)**

 **C: Awesome :) My meeting's almost done, I can meet you guys down in the lobby in a few minutes**

 **A: Great, see you soon**

"Come on Teddy," Ana said, putting her phone away before taking Ted's hand again and walking up the front steps through the huge glass front doors.

GEH may have looked big from the outside, but from the inside it was positively monolithic. The front lobby alone stretched up several stories, with high vaulted windows made of glass and steel. The floors were made of polished marble, echoing the footsteps of many business people walking in and out of the building. Everybody here looked so sophisticated, and Ana suddenly felt rather dowdy by comparison. She and Ted moved off to the side of the lobby near the receptionist desk, and she hoped fervently Christian would come down soon so they could leave.

The blonde receptionist at the desk noticed Ana and Ted, though she didn't say anything. Ana had the impression she didn't approve of them standing there, and after a few moments she got up and approached them.

"Hi, can I help you?" she asked Ana, plastering a professional smile on her face.

"Oh no, that's okay," Ana smiled back politely. "I'm just waiting for someone."

"Do they work here, ma'am?"

"Yes, he does." _Actually, you work for him._

"Well, if you could give me his name, I can call his department and let him know you've arrived," the woman smiled, though there was a certain cold quality to her expression.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Ana said quickly. "My boyfriend just got out of a meeting, he'll be down here any minute. He said it was okay if my son and I waited for him in the lobby."

"Nevertheless ma'am, we can't allow random people to be loitering in here," she said firmly, and Ana saw her glance down at Ted with a hint of condescension in her voice. "You both would need security passes or be in the company of authorized personnel in order to be in this building."

"I already told you that my boyfriend works here," Ana said, starting to feel annoyed at this woman.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't allow you to stay here," the woman insisted, her voice tinged with impatience. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Just as she said that, the elevator doors across the lobby slid open, and Ana looked up to see Christian stepping out of the elevator and into the lobby. He was speaking to Taylor and a couple other businessmen as he walked forward, and Ana couldn't help but smile in relief upon seeing him.

" _Cwistan!_ " Ted yelled out excitedly upon seeing Christian.

Christian and the other businessmen all turned at the sound of Ted's voice, and Christian smiled widely when he noticed the two of them. Ted quickly pulled his hand out of his mother's grasp and ran toward Christian, who knelt down just as Ted crashed into his arms in a tight embrace.

"Hey buddy, I missed you," Christian chuckled as Ted latched his tiny arms around his neck. Ana grinned as she approached the two of them, and Christian got to his feet, hoisting Ted up in his arms. He gazed over at Ana with a look of such love and affection is made her knees weak, and Christian didn't hesitate to stride over to her.

"Ana," he smiled before reaching her, and he immediately wrapped his free arm around her waist and pressed his lips to hers in an exuberant kiss. Ana took his face in her hands, not hesitating to kiss him back, smiling against his lips.

Neither of them noticed the other people in the lobby gaping at them. The rude blonde receptionist looked like she was about to faint from shock at what she was seeing.

Christian finally pulled away slightly, still gazing into Ana's eyes. "You look phenomenal, baby," he whispered before pecking her on the lips one more time. He pulled away completely before turning toward the blonde receptionist. "Cassandra, please make sure my girlfriend Anastasia Steele is given top security clearance when she comes to GEH. The same goes for her son Ted."

"O-Of course, Mr. Grey," the receptionist named Cassandra blushed before turning around and walking back toward her desk, avoiding eye contact with Ana.

Christian turned back to Ana and smiled. "Ready to go to dinner, baby?"

Ana grinned widely back, taking his hand and lacing her fingers with his. "Let's go."

The three of them and Taylor walked out of the lobby, unaware of the stares they were getting as they left.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next chapter will be the second half of Ana and Ted's trip to Seattle.**

 **Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	20. A Trip to the City Pt 2

**A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews and support! :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: A Trip to the City Pt. 2**

Christian took Ana and Ted to dinner at his restaurant, which was called the Mile High Club - the name as an innuendo for sex was not lost on Ana, but she was at least thankful Ted was too young to understand it. Children were usually not allowed in such a fancy establishment, but an exception was obviously made for the personal guests of Christian Grey. The three of them were ushered along by the hostess through the restaurant and into a private dining area.

"I wish I could have dressed up into something a bit fancier," Ana smiled amusedly as the hostess sat them down in a cozy corner booth, away from the noise of the rest of the crowded restaurant.

"Don't worry about it. You look absolutely beautiful, baby," Christian insisted, taking her hand in his own and smiling widely. "Seriously, this summer dress looks stunning on you. You should wear dresses more often."

Ana blushed, smiling shyly. "Okay, I will… for you, Mr. Grey."

Christian's eyes darkened, and he was about to lean in for a kiss when the waiter suddenly appeared before them to take their drink orders. Ana blushed, feeling embarrassed, but Christian seemed unfazed as he ordered a bottle of Sancerre for himself and Ana to share as well as a glass of milk for Ted.

"We'd also like three plates of the ragu alla bolognese, and a basket of breadsticks to share," Christian said.

"Very good, sir. We'll have that right out for you," the waiter nodded

He walked away, and Ana glanced over at Christian. "Christian, what was that you ordered for us? Ted can be kind of a picky eater, I don't think he'd like to eat a strange foreign dish."

"Don't worry, 'ragu alla bolognese' is just a fancy name for spaghetti with meat sauce," Christian said. "It's one of the restaurant's specialties, and I'm sure Ted will love it. If he doesn't, we can always send it back."

"Oh, okay," Ana relaxed slightly, smiling. "That should be fine - Ted loves spaghetti."

"Cwayons, Mommy," Ted insisted, and Christian and Ana chuckled.

"Just a moment, sweetie," Ana reached into her bag and pulled out the coloring book and baggie of crayons Ted had been occupying himself with on the ride up to Seattle. She set them in front of him and he immediately opened the book to begin coloring a spaceship.

Christian watched Ted with a smile on his face before turning to Ana. "Come here," he said, and Ana smiled before scooting over so she was pressed up against his side. He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close. "I've missed you both a lot this past week."

"We've missed you too," Ana smiled up at him, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I can't wait to spend this weekend with you."

"Me neither baby," Christian smiled before leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips. Just then the waiter appeared with a tray containing their drinks - he placed the glass of milk with a straw in front of Ted before setting down two wine glasses and a bottle of Sancerre before Christian and Ana.

"Thank you," Christian dismissed the waiter. He then poured some of the white wine into each of their glasses, and Ana picked up her glass.

"To the weekend," she toasted, and Christian grinned before picking up his own glass and clinking it with hers.

"To the weekend."

~/~

Their dinner was absolutely delicious, and even Ted ate practically everything on his plate. Christian suggested they get some dessert, but Ana and Ted were completely stuffed at this point, so they decided to head back to Christian's home at Escala.

Ana hadn't been to Christian's penthouse yet, but considering the opulence and grandeur of GEH and the Mile High Club, she was sure Escala would be absolutely stunning. Taylor drove them through the streets of Seattle, and Ana couldn't help but stare around at all the buildings - this place sure was different from Easton.

"Have you ever been to Seattle before?" Christian asked Ana, noticing her staring out the window.

"A couple times, back when I was younger," Ana said, turning to look at him. "You grew up in the city, right?"

"I was actually born in Detroit, but when my biological mother died and my parents adopted me, we moved here to Seattle," Christian explained. "I've lived here ever since, though I do travel around a lot for work. I actually have a second apartment out in New York City."

"New York City?" Ana asked, her eyes widening with awe.

"Yeah. Have you ever been?" Christian asked, smiling at her.

"No. It sounds amazing though."

"I'll take you sometime," Christian promised. "I'll likely have to go there next month for business. I'll bring you along with me."

Ana smiled, feeling her heartbeat quicken at the thought. "I like the sound of that."

Christian looked like he wanted to kiss her, but at that moment Taylor pulled into an underground parking garage. They were finally at Escala, and once the car was parked Ana had to pick up a sleeping Ted from his carseat and carry him toward the elevators.

Once in the elevator, Christian punched in a code and they moved up toward the top of the skyscraper. Even though the elevator didn't have any windows, Ana was sure that they would be able to see the entire city of Seattle once at the top. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Christian led them into the opulent foyer of his penthouse suite.

"Welcome to my home," Christian said, gesturing toward the great room in front of him.

The place looked more like a model home out of a trendy catalog - the floors were made of beautiful polished marble, and the open concept living room was decked out with high-end leather furniture, glass coffee tables, and a white marble fireplace. Across the room were huge floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the entire city of Seattle as well as the Puget Sound far below.

"Wow Christian," Ana said, gazing around in awe. "This place is gorgeous."

Before Christian could respond, Ted suddenly stirred awake. He blearily blinked open his eyes and rubbed one of them with his knuckles. "Mommy?"

"Hi, baby," Ana smiled down at him. "We're at Christian's house right now."

None of that seemed to register with Ted, who looked ready to go back to sleep as he lay his head back down on his mother's shoulder. Ana and Christian both chuckled.

"What time is it?" Ana asked Christian, who checked his watch.

"About 7:45."

"That's right around his bedtime," Ana said, glancing down at her sleepy boy. "And he's had a busy day today, I'm not surprised he's so wiped out."

"I had one of my guest rooms made up for him," Christian said, gesturing toward the staircase leading to the second floor. "His luggage should already be up there, and there's an adjoining bathroom in case you wanted to give him a bath before bed."

"Thank you Christian," Ana said gratefully, walking over to the staircase.

"You're very welcome," Christian smiled, walking over and placing his hand on the small of her back. "And once he's all tucked in, the two of us can have a little alone time."

There was a growl in his voice that made Ana's heartbeat quicken, and she smiled up at him. "I can't wait Mr. Grey."

Christian leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips before leading them upstairs toward the guest room.

* * *

 **~Saturday morning~**

Last night was wonderful - after Ted went to bed, Christian and Ana got to spend the whole night together uninterrupted in Christian's king-size bed underneath a lusciously soft comforter and 1800-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. It was marvelous, and on Saturday morning, Ana woke up naked with bright sunlight shining down on her face and her body feeling deliciously sore from Christian's ministrations last night. She couldn't help but smile to herself, her body tingling with pleasure at the memories of last night.

Or perhaps that tingling sensation wasn't just from memories…

Ana let out an involuntary gasp, suddenly noticing Christian wasn't lying beside her, but rather was underneath the covers in-between her thighs. Ana threw back the comforter to see Christian in all his naked glory going down on her, his mouth latched onto her clit while his hands were clamped on each of her thighs, pushing her legs apart. He glanced up at Ana and smirked.

"Good morning, baby," he said against her before continuing his assault on her pussy, causing her to moan in pleasure.

"Oh my God, don't stop," Ana groaned, throwing her head on the pillow as she arched her back in pleasure.

Christian chuckled against her before continuing his ministrations, licking her clit with renewed vigor. He opened his mouth against her wet heat and delved in, eating her out like a ripe juicy summer peach. Ana was so close now, and before she knew it she was coming all over his tongue, gasping and arching her back in pleasure.

"Oh my God," she panted once she came down from her amazing climax. Christian began kissing her up her body before reaching her mouth, and Ana immediately kissed him back, hooking her arms around his neck. Their make-out session was getting pretty hot and heavy when there was suddenly a knock on the bedroom door.

"Mr. Grey?" a female voice spoke through the door. "Ms. Steele's son is awake and he's asking for his mother."

Christian reluctantly pulled away from Ana. "We'll be right out, Gail," he called back to her.

"Looks like we're going to have to resume this a little later, Mr. Grey," Ana said once Gail walked away from the door. Christian pretended to pout as Ana giggled.

"I'll be counting the minutes, Ms. Steele," he said, pecking her on the lips before getting out of bed.

Ana threw on her pajamas and her bathrobe before making her way toward Ted's room, where he was wide awake with sleep-tousled hair and all his blankets kicked off the bed in typical four-year-old fashion.

"Good morning, Teddy," Ana smiled at her son, and he quickly hopped up and ran to his mother, hugging her tightly around the waist. "You ready for breakfast, buddy?"

Ted nodded enthusiastically. "I'm hungwy!"

Ana laughed as she took Ted's hand and brought him downstairs to the kitchen, where Christian was now seated at the breakfast bar reading a newspaper in pajama pants and a t-shirt. Gail was in the kitchen cooking up some eggs and bacon on the stove.

"Good morning," Christian looked up and smiled at the two of them.

"Good morning," Ana greeted back. Once at the breakfast bar, Ana hoisted Ted up and placed him on one of the chairs next to Christian. "What's for breakfast?"

"I'm cooking up some scrambled eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns, but if there's something else you want just let me know," Gail said, plating up their food before placing it in front of them.

"I want pancakes!" Teddy exclaimed, and the adults all chuckled.

"Eggs and bacon will be fine, thank you Gail," Ana said to Gail. "Ted's just got a bit of a sweet tooth. We can't indulge him all the time."

"It's okay, Ted - I like pancakes too," Christian said conspiratorially to Ted, who snickered. Christian then leaned over and kissed Ana on the cheek. "Good morning, baby."

"'Morning," Ana said, blushing slightly as she smiled.

"Cwistan, why do you kiss Mommy?" Ted asked curiously.

Ana and Christian both froze, unsure of how to answer that. They glanced at one another. "Well…" Christian began slowly. "Ted, you know how you kiss your mommy when you want to show her that you care about her?"

"Yeah," Ted nodded.

"Well, I care about her too. And just like you, I like to show her how much I care by kissing her sometimes," Christian glanced up at Ana and smiled, and Ana smiled back.

"Oh okay," Ted said, distracted by the plate of eggs and bacon Gail placed in front of him. Ana, relieved that he seemed satisfied with that response, quickly helped him put his napkin on his lap before cutting into his bacon.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Ana asked Christian as Gail now served them coffee.

"Well, since it's such a beautiful day today, I was thinking I could take you guys out to the Pike Market District before going out to the marina and checking out the boats," Christian said. "Then on Sunday we can go out on my boat _The Grace_ and have a little picnic before you guys gave to leave. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like fun," Ana smiled before looking over at Ted. "What do you think, buddy? You wanna go see some boats today?"

Ted, his mouth full of scrambled eggs, nodded enthusiastically. Ana and Christian laughed.

"Glad to hear it, Teddy," Christian chuckled, ruffling his hair, and Ted snickered.

~/~

About an hour later, Christian, Ana, and Ted had finished their breakfast, got dressed, and headed out into the city. It was a busy Saturday morning, with cars and pedestrians filling the streets - the three of them got into Christian's Audi R8 and he drove them through the city toward the Pike Market, which was thankfully only about five minutes away. They headed into the public market, which was already bustling with early morning activity. Christian pointed out for them some of the stands which contained colorful selections of flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

"This place is so beautiful," Ana couldn't help but smile as she gazed around at all the stands around her. She pulled out her phone and snapped a couple pictures to send to her dad.

"For you, my lady," Christian handed Ana a single purple lilac, and she smiled, accepting it from him.

"Thank you."

The three of them continued walking along the market, and when Ted got bored and looked as if he wanted to run off, Christian picked him up and placed him on his shoulders so he was high above everyone else. Ted squealed and giggled in delight at being carried around like this, and Ana couldn't help but beam happily at seeing her two favorite boys together having such a great time.

The three of them continued along the Market, browsing the various shops and vendors while navigating through the crowds of people. They eventually ended up near Elliot Bay, where a great many boats were docked or sailing out into the clear blue water. Ted began pointing at them excitedly, so Ana and Christian walked over to the docks to get a better look.

"Careful, sweetie," Ana said as Christian brought Ted down off his shoulders and he ran ahead toward the nearest docked boat. "I'm not sure he's ever seen boats like this before," Ana said to Christian. "Usually when he's fishing with my dad they're on a tiny little rowboat - all of these are massive by comparison."

"I think he'll enjoy going on _The Grace_ then," Christian chuckled. "It's a fully-furnished forty foot catamaran, basically a small apartment on the water."

"Sounds awesome," Ana giggled. "Mind if I asked why you named it _The Grace_?"

"Grace Trevelyan Grey is my adoptive mother," he explained. "When I was a child, she saved me from a terrible living situation by adopting me and bringing me to Seattle - she's basically my guardian angel. I owe her everything."

Ana couldn't help but smile lovingly at him. "Christian, that's so sweet."

Christian smiled at her, his expression looking a bit nervous. "Do you think you would like to meet her?"

Ana blinked, surprised. "Your mother?"

"Yeah," Christian nodded. "She and my dad live out in Bellevue, which isn't too far from here."

Ana suddenly felt nervous. "You mean this weekend?"

Christian laughed, immediately easing Ana's worries. "No, baby - I wouldn't spring that on you like that. But someday in the near future, I was hoping I could introduce you and Ted to my parents. Would that be alright?"

Ana smiled widely. "I'd like that."

Christian smiled happily at her, taking her hand in his own and lacing their fingers together. "I'm glad. We could probably plan another weekend like this within the next month or two so you guys can meet each other face-to-face. Hopefully I won't have to go anywhere for work during that time." Christian chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he looked over at Ted running ahead of them. "God, all this planning we have to do... I'll be glad once you and Ted have officially moved here to Seattle with me."

That last offhand comment was what almost made Ana stop in her tracks, the happy smile on her face dropping into a pensive frown.

 _Wait… does he really think Ted and I are going to move to Seattle?_

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize I didn't have a ton of time to write this week, so that's why this chapter was a little short. Next chapter, Ana and Ted finish up their trip to Seattle while Ana and Christian talk about their future.**

 **If you liked this chapter, please leave a review!**


	21. Living Situations

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Living Situations**

Christian felt that this weekend he spent with Ana and Ted was the best he'd ever had. All of Saturday, the three of them had gone wandering around Seattle, first in the Pike Market and then along Elliot Bay to see all the boats. Then a bit later they went out to Christian's favorite seaside restaurant SP's Place for some of the best clam chowder in the state. Ana and Christian indulged in a some imported draft beer, and Ana even allowed Ted to have a diet cola with his dinner, much to his delight.

Once they got back to Escala, Christian suggested they watch a movie in his media room, and Ana and Ted agreed. While Christian didn't exactly have any kid movies in his DVD collection, he did have a Netflix subscription and streaming service - Ana ended up finding a movie on there that Ted had already seen called _Despicable Me_ , and Christian agreed to watch it with them. He made some popcorn for them to share, and when he went back into the media room and sat down on the couch, Ana and Ted immediately cuddled up to him. Ana snuggled into his side while Ted, perched on his mother's lap, grabbed a pillow and blanket before laying down across Christian's lap. Christian couldn't help but smile, wrapping his arm around Ana's shoulders and basking in the feel of watching a movie with his two favorite people in the world.

The movie was pretty cute Christian thought, but he ended up dozing off toward the end, and Ana had to wake him up after it had finished. Yawning tiredly, Christian helped Ana carry a sleeping Ted up to his room and tucked him in, and the two of them went to the master bedroom to change into their pajamas and turn in for the night.

Christian closed the door and looked over at Ana, feeling immediately aroused as she had pulled her t-shirt up over her head, revealing her white lacy bra. She reached behind her and unhooked it.

"I wanted to do that for you," Christian pretended to pout as her bra dropped to the floor at her feet. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around her naked waist, and Ana giggled as one hand slid up to cup her bare breast.

"Well, you can do the rest if you like, Mr. Grey," she gave him a coquettish grin. With a smirk, Christian knelt down and tugged her skin-tight black leggings and white lace panties all the way down so she was completely naked.

"Now it's your turn," Ana said with a smile, and Christian stood up again.

"I'm all yours, baby," he said with a grin, and Ana immediately moved forward to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him passionately on the lips. Christian lifted her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed, his sleepiness from before having completely vanished at this point.

~/~

The next morning, Christian woke up alone in his bed, relieved to have slept the whole night through without any nightmares. He stretched his arms up, feeling the aftereffects of his and Ana's lovemaking last night tingle throughout his body. He smiled to himself, but it was only a brief happiness when he remembered she and Ted were leaving later today.

Trying to push away those sad thoughts, Christian got out of bed and threw on his pajamas before making his way downstairs. Ana was sitting alone at the breakfast bar in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt while reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. She glanced up as Christian approached.

"Good morning," Ana said to him as he walked toward her and pecked her on the lips. "We made the news today."

Frowning, Christian glanced down at the newspaper she was reading, and saw that it was a printed copy of _The Seattle Nooz_ from this morning. It was turned to a page with multiple paparazzi photos of Ana, Christian, and Ted at Pike Market Place yesterday - a couple of photos were of them walking together, one was a shot of Christian with Ted on his shoulders, and one was even when Christian giving Ana a purple flower. The headline read in big bold letters: **_CHRISTIAN GREY'S SECRET FAMILY?_**

"Great," Christian sighed, cursing silently to himself. "I'm sure my PR department has already seen this and have tried contacting me about it - I haven't really been checking my emails that much this weekend."

"Is this going to be a problem?" Ana asked, a bit hesitant. "I mean, from what I can tell they only have these pictures and a small article that speculates who Ted and I are. There's nothing concrete as far as I can tell."

"For now there's nothing concrete, but it could get much more complicated if they do find out who you and Ted are," Christian frowned worriedly, walking over to the carafe of coffee and pouring himself a cup. "My team and I will work to keep your names out of the papers for the time being. When the time is right though, we'll do a small press release about who you and Ted are and that you and I are dating."

Ana frowned. "What do you mean 'when the time is right'?"

"We'll figure it out," Christian shrugged, bringing the cup of coffee to his lips. "It's just best we have a plan of action so we can stay on top of this."

Ana, however, looked dissatisfied by that answer. "What if I don't agree to having my son's name being released in the papers for the whole world to see?" she asked tightly.

Christian stared at her, frowning in concern. "Is everything alright, Ana?"

"I'm just not okay with you making decisions like that for me and my son, Christian," Ana said. "I'd like for us to be able to discuss it first."

"There's nothing to discuss," Christian said firmly. "The paparazzi have already gotten pictures of you two, and even if my PR team can keep it from spreading around too much, it's going to eventually come out who you guys are to me, whether intentionally or not. Since I'm a well-known member of Seattle society, we're going to have to take precautions."

Christian's words only seemed to make Ana even more annoyed, however. "Well, thank you for making those decisions for me," she grumbled sarcastically. "It's not like I get a say in my son's life or anything. I mean, you've already planned out where Ted and I are going to live in the near future, so why not this too?"

That comment made Christian pause, and he stared at her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ana didn't answer as she stared down at her coffee mug. "Nothing. Nevermind," she muttered, not looking at him.

"No, not 'nevermind'," Christian said angrily. What was she so pissed off about? "What the hell did you mean by where you and Ted are going to live?"

Ana finally looked up at him, annoyance still simmering in her expression. "Yesterday while we were walking along Elliot Bay, you made a comment about how glad you would be once Ted and I moved to Seattle."

"Yeah?" Christian said, still confused as to why that upset her.

"You didn't think to ask me first if I would be okay to uproot my and my son's life in Easton and move to Seattle with you?" Ana asked pointedly. Christian felt a bit taken aback.

"Are you saying you don't want to live in Seattle with me someday?" he asked, his heart clenching. This long-distance relationship with her was tough enough already - did she really not see a future with him here?

"I don't know what I want to do," Ana said evasively. "Someday down the line I thought maybe we could talk about it and work out what we wanted to do. But that's not why I'm upset - I'm upset because you apparently had already made a major decision about my and my son's lives without consulting me first."

"So you're saying you don't want to live here in Seattle with me someday?" Christian asked, still unsure as to why she was so upset.

Ana huffed in frustration. "I'm saying that I want us to have a discussion about important things in our lives before you just decide things for me. I'd like to have a say in our relationship, Christian."

"You do have a say, Ana," Christian insisted. "But we both knew we weren't going to do this long-distance thing forever. What was there to discuss?"

"A lot of things," Ana stated. "It may seem all cut-and-dry to you, but to me and Ted it's a huge change. We've lived in Easton our whole lives - all our friends and neighbors live there, Ted is going to go to school there, and my dad and I run a business together from our home. Do you think it's so easy for us to just get up and leave all that behind?"

"I'm not saying you have to move to Seattle right at this moment," Christian said, his frustration growing. "Why are you fighting me so much on this? I thought you'd be happy at the idea of not having to do a long-distance relationship anymore."

"You just don't get it, Christian. How would you like it if I insisted you uproot your life and move to Easton for me?"

"What?" Christian asked, bemused. "You want me to move to Easton?"

"No I don't. But if I did, you and I would have a discussion before we decided on anything," Ana said firmly. "It's called communication, and it's necessary in a relationship. Can't you see that?"

"Fine, we'll communicate," Christian said, hoping to appease her. "You know how I feel about you, Ana - I want this relationship to work more than anything."

"I do too, Christian," Ana said seriously. "I'm not completely against the idea of me and Ted moving to Seattle someday. I just want us to have a discussion about it before you start jumping to conclusions."

"Well, if you're already considering moving to Seattle, then there's not really anything to discuss, is there?" Christian frowned at her. "Is it because you don't want to live here at Escala? I know that I used to bring my submissives here, but that's in the past and it doesn't matter anymore."

The look that crossed Ana's face immediately made Christian realize he had said the wrong thing. "Excuse me, what?" she asked, clearly trying to suppress her anger. "You brought your submissives here? To this apartment?"

Christian didn't say anything, knowing he had completely stepped in it.

"Are you serious?" Ana went on, clearly trying to keep herself from shouting. "You brought my four-year-old son into the same place where you entertained your little… pets?!"

"Well, it wasn't in here," Christian stated defensively, gesturing to the room they were standing in. "It was in only one room upstairs, and it's locked so there's no chance of Ted getting inside. It's totally fine."

"And you never thought to inform me of this?" Ana asked angrily. "God, Christian! I knew you had these types of relationships in the past, but I assumed you conducted them… elsewhere. Not under the same roof where you let my son sleep!"

"Ana, that part of my life is over," Christian argued back, his anger starting to rise as well. "You and Ted are my future - you know that. I don't practice that lifestyle anymore, so you have nothing to be angry about!"

"Nothing to be angry about? You didn't feel the need to tell me when you've made big decisions regarding me and my son without my knowledge," Ana argued back. "You decided I would be okay with releasing our names to the public. You decided I would be okay with you telling me where we're going to live in the future. You decided I would be okay with my four-year-old son staying in the same house where you practiced your BDSM lifestyle. If you wanted a girl who you could just make a bunch of decisions for, Christian, then maybe you should have just gotten yourself another submissive."

With that, Ana turned around and stalked up the stairs, leaving Christian staring after her in shock.

* * *

 **~Ana~**

Ana felt the blood pounding in her ears as she made her way back to the master bedroom, her anger still simmering inside of her. She knew her snapping at Christian the way she had wasn't the best way to handle this situation, but she was too angry to care. How dare he try to make decisions for her and her son like that? She always knew he was used to being the man in charge, but was this going to be a theme throughout their entire relationship? He would just make all the decisions and she was expected to play along?

Ana was distracted from her angry thoughts by her phone ringing. It was her father.

"Hello?" Ana answered after a moment, trying to calm her temper.

"'Morning, sweetie," Ray greeted her warmly. "How's Seattle been so far?"

"It's been good," Ana said, clearing her throat. "Is everything alright in Easton?"

"Well, that's what I was calling you about, actually," Ray said. "That couple in Vancouver wants their armoire by Tuesday morning now, which means I have to rush to finish it up before then. It needs to be shipped out on the dry van by tomorrow afternoon so it'll make it on time. I know that you and Ted are still visiting Christian in Seattle, but do you know when you're going to get back today? I could really use all the help I can get."

"I'm not sure when we'll be heading back," Ana said, glancing out the window toward the early morning Seattle skyline. They were supposed to go out on Christian boat today, but considering their fight this morning, that didn't seem like much of an option. "Can I call you later and let you know?"

"Sure thing, sweetie," Ray said. "I appreciate you coming through for me at the last minute."

"No problem Dad. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetie. Give my best to Christian."

They hung up, and Ana continued to gaze thoughtfully out the window, thinking about what to do. A part of her wanted to rush home this minute, but she wasn't sure how Christian would react to her leaving right now, especially considering their conversation a few minutes ago.

"Was that your father?"

Ana turned to see Christian standing in the doorway, gazing at her. She hadn't realized he was there, and she wondered if he had heard the entire phone call.

"Yeah," Ana nodded. "One of our customers at the carpentry shop needs a rush on their project, and my dad wanted to know when I'd be home today to help him out with it."

Christian nodded, not saying anything. There was a brief moment where both of them remained silent, trying to think of what to say next.

"Well, I suppose I should go wake up Ted if you're going to be leaving right now," Christian finally said in a clipped voice, and Ana looked up at him. "I'll tell him there's not going to be a boat ride today since your dad insists you guys have to go back home."

Before Ana could say anything, Christian turned around and walked away toward Ted's room. She huffed to herself, feeling a bit annoyed at his refusal to talk to her, but also rather relieved she wasn't going to have to stay in this tense environment with him for much longer. She went to the closet and picked up her half-empty suitcase to pack, resolved to fact that she and Ted were heading home right now despite what was going on between her and Christian.

* * *

 **~Christian~**

Christian stood and watched as Sawyer loaded the SUV with Ana and Ted's luggage while Ana made sure she and Ted had everything. Christian wished fervently that they didn't have to leave, but he wasn't sure what he could say that could convince them to stay. Ana was pissed at him, and Ray needed her back to work at their carpentry shop in Easton... Christian felt so helpless, and he didn't know what to say or do to make all this better.

Ted was standing beside his mother, but he looked back at Christian. Christian knelt down so he was eye-level with Ted, opening his arms, and Ted walked over to him before they embraced.

"Bye Ted," Christian muttered into the little boy's hair, his heart clenching with a powerful emotion. "I hope I get to see you and your mommy again real soon."

Ted didn't answer, but merely clung to Christian's neck with his little arms. Finally, they pulled away from each other and Christian got to his feet.

"C'mon buddy," Ana said to Ted, and he hurried back over to his mom, who picked him up and placed him in his carseat. Once he was all buckled in, Ana turned to look at Christian.

The expression on her face was one of uncertainty, as if she wasn't sure where they stood in their relationship as of this moment. Christian felt the same way, but what he knew beyond a doubt was that he didn't want to lose her or Ted. Tentatively, he walked up to her and took her hand in his own.

"Can I call you sometime this week?" he asked hesitantly, afraid she would say no. Ana gave him a small smile before nodding her head.

"Yeah you can," she said, and Christian smiled at her.

"Thanks baby."

Ana smiled back, and with that small bit of tension broken, Ana got up on her tippy toes and pressed a kiss to Christian's lips. It was just a small kiss, but it made Christian feel better that she wasn't completely rejecting him with her leaving.

Before Christian could protest, Ana had turned and climbed into the backseat of the SUV, closing the door behind her, and Sawyer then got into the driver's seat. They were soon pulling out of the parking garage and onto the street, heading back to Easton.

* * *

 **A/N: I know a lot of you are going to have some opinions about this chapter. Just know that both Christian and Ana have some things they need to face about themselves before they reconcile, which will be very soon.**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think!** **Next chapter, Ana and Christian both work through what happened between them.**


	22. The Foreseeable Future

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: The Foreseeable Future**

The armoire Ray and Ana were making for their customer in Vancouver was only about half finished when she and Ted came back from Seattle, so Ana understood her father's urgency in making sure it was done before Tuesday. Thankfully it didn't need to be stained since they were building it with dark cherry wood, but the remaining cutting and assembling was a two-man job that would likely take up the rest of Sunday and most of Monday. These types of last-minute rushes weren't very common, so when they happened they needed to be taken pretty seriously.

Ana was thankful for the distraction of working at the wood shop with her father. Ever since she came back from Seattle, she kept going back and forth in her mind about how she left things with Christian, and while sometimes she felt justified in her anger, other times she regretted everything she said to him. Had she been too hard on him? She knew he made those decisions because he was just looking out for her and Ted, but at the same time, she resented the fact he decided things about the two of them without consulting her first. She knew beyond a doubt she didn't want this to become a theme in their relationship.

The thing that probably worried her the most, however, was wondering if Christian actually wanted a relationship where he made all the decisions. Maybe he wanted someone who was more… submissive to him than she was?

Ana didn't think she would be able to bear it if that was the case.

Ana and Ray managed to finish the armoire about an hour before it had to be loaded onto the van on Monday, much to their relief. Ray was very apologetic about having to bring Ana and Ted home early from their trip to Seattle, but Ana assured him it was fine - she didn't mention to him the fight she and Christian had had, and she wasn't planning to. There were some things about Christian's life she wasn't willing to divulge to her own father.

Once the armoire was safely shipped on the dry van, Ana and Ray decided to just spend the rest of the day relaxing indoors with Ted. The three of them sat in the living room watching a sitcom, Ted sitting on the floor in front of them building something out of Legos. Ray loved seeing Ted building things with his toys, always joking that it meant he was poised to take over the carpentry business someday when he was older.

"…You're a bit quiet today, sweetheart," Ray said to his daughter, who sat curled up on the sofa adjacent to his armchair while staring mindlessly at the television. "I haven't really asked you much about your trip yet. How was Seattle?"

Ana felt her heart clench slightly. "It was fun. I know that Ted had a really good time - I don't think he's ever seen buildings that tall before."

Ray chuckled. "Yeah, I can imagine. So what did you do there?"

Ana went into what she, Ted, and Christian had done over the weekend, leaving out their argument from Sunday. Honestly, Seattle had been a lot of fun, and she recounted all the enjoyable times they spent at the Pike Place Market, Elliot Bay, and the International Fountain.

"Sounds like you had fun this weekend," Ray smiled. "How was Christian?"

"He was good," Ana nodded. "We stayed in his apartment, which is the penthouse suite of the Escala building. It's very pretty."

Ana tried to forget that that penthouse was where he had entertained his submissives, but it was difficult not to think about.

"I can imagine his place would be pretty fancy," Ray agreed. "Someone like him probably has all the swankiest things at his disposal."

Ana wanted to agree, but all she could muster was a weak smile. Ray noticed her expression and gave her a concerned look. "Everything alright, sweetheart?"

Ana looked at her father, and knew there really wasn't anything she could hide from him. She shrugged, deciding to tell him part of the truth: "I don't know… I guess there was just so much to take in about Christian's life in Seattle. It all got to be a bit overwhelming towards the end, and Christian and I actually got into a bit of an argument before we left."

"Really?" Ray looked concerned. "About what?"

"It's a long story, but he was trying to make some major decisions for me and Ted without consulting me first," Ana explained, watching as Ted played with the spaceship he had made out of Legos. "I didn't appreciate being ordered around like that."

"I can see Christian doing stuff like that," Ray conceded sympathetically. "He is the CEO of an international company, after all. I'm sorry you guys got into an argument about that, but if it's any consolation, I think him doing that is just his way of showing that he cares about you and Ted."

Ana couldn't help but scoff. "He basically expected us to move to Seattle with him."

Ray nodded, looking unsurprised by that revelation. "That doesn't surprise me. Do you know what you're going to do?"

"No," Ana grimaced. "I told him he and I needed to discuss it before we decided on something so significant, but he wasn't having it. I doubt we'd move anytime soon, though."

"And why's that?" Ray asked. Ana thought about it for a second before shrugging.

"Christian and I are so… different," she said, staring down at her hands. "He comes from a completely different world than me. He's used to five star hotels and designer clothes and personal drivers. Not to mention the women he used to spend his time with were on a whole different level than me. I actually met one of his exes, and she was this beautiful, stylish sub-" Ana cut herself off before she said 'submissive'. "-sophisticated woman. She was basically everything I'm not. How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"So you feel inadequate?" Ray asked, and Ana blinked at him, surprised. Was that really what she was feeling?

"I don't know," she said doubtfully.

"It sounds like you do feel that way sweetheart, but you have no reason to be," Ray said firmly, and Ana simply gazed at him. "I'll tell you one thing about men like Christian - they know what they want. Whether it's money or respect or even women, they know how to get it and they just go for it. If Christian wanted to be with one of those other women he used to spend his time with, don't you think he would be? Do you think he would have courted you if he didn't really want to be with you?"

Ana didn't answer, gazing off into the distance in thought.

"Guys like Christian probably have women falling on their feet on a daily basis," Ray went on. "And yet Christian wants to commit to _you_ \- a young mother of a four-year-old boy who lives hours away in a tiny mountain town in the middle of nowhere. If nothing else, that should show you how much that man cares about you and Ted... and I think you care about him just as much, Annie. I'm not saying you have to kowtow to his every whim in order to be with him, but just don't let his domineering tendencies ruin something good that could potentially happen between the two of you."

Ana still remained silent as she thought about what he said. For the first time in days, she had a sudden desire to see Christian again.

* * *

 **~Christian~**

Christian felt miserable all of Sunday after Ana and Ted left. He understood that they had to leave because of a last-minute delivery from Ana and Ray's carpentry business, but deep down he knew she wouldn't have wanted to stick around anyway. He had to call up Mac at the marina and tell him that the boat ride he had planned for the day was now cancelled - he probably could have just gone sailing by himself, but he didn't think he could bring himself to do it, not when Ana was still so angry at him.

He didn't really understand why she got so pissed at him to begin with. Was the idea of her and Ted moving to Seattle to be with him really so abhorrent to her? He wished he knew what was going on inside her head, but she and Ted were back in Easton now and she likely didn't want to talk to him anytime soon. He hated being alone in Escala stuck in his own thoughts, so he decided to schedule an appointment with his therapist Flynn first thing tomorrow morning.

"Christian," Flynn greeted Christian with a warm handshake as he entered his office on Monday. "Long time no see. How have you been?"

"I've been good," Christian said simply, walking into John's office and taking a seat. John moved over to sit in his usual wingback chair. "I was hoping to talk to you about something today."

"By all means," John said with a kind smile, reaching over to pick up his notepad and pen. "It's been over a month and a half since we last spoke to each other - I'd imagine something of import must have happened to you within that time frame."

"Well, it has," Christian said with a small smile. "I've met someone."

Flynn looked relatively surprised. "Did you now? Based on your tone of voice, I'm to assume this someone isn't a submissive?"

"No," Christian shook his head. "She's a young mother who lives in a town called Easton."

For the next twenty minutes or so, Christian talked about how he had met Ana when working with Elliot at his construction site, and how he and Ana had gotten to know each other over the weeks he'd been staying in Easton. He also talked about this past weekend, when Ana and her son had come to visit, and Flynn seemed both surprised and impressed at the progress he had made.

"My goodness Christian, you certainly move fast, don't you?" Flynn chuckled incredulously once Christian had finished talking. "I'm happy for you, truly. It seems as if you have been waiting for somebody like this Anastasia woman to come into your life, and the fact that you have become just as committed to her son shows that you are ready for a future with the two of them. You're clearly at a stage in life where you are willing to settle down and perhaps even start a family - something you have previously expounded upon that you would never do."

"Yeah," Christian said, though he grimaced slightly. "I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon though…"

He then talked about his and Ana's argument before she and Ted left Seattle. He explained his confusion of how she reacted to what he had said, and Flynn listened silently as he took notes on his pad of paper perched on his knee.

"I see…" Flynn said as Christian finished talking and he jotted something down. "So if I am hearing you correctly, Anastasia had a strongly negative reaction when you asked her if she'd like to move to Seattle, and you don't understand why she did?"

"Well…" Christian hesitated, looking down at his feet. "I didn't so much as ask her to move to Seattle as I said that I couldn't wait until she did. Is there a difference?"

"I would say that there is. Am I to assume that phrasing was what made her angry in the first place?"

Christian didn't answer, confirming that theory. Flynn merely smiled.

"From what you have told me about Anastasia, Christian, she sounds like a very strong and independent young woman," he said. "You presenting the idea of her and her son moving to Seattle could easily have been interpreted by her as you trying to control her. Tell me - is she aware of your past in the BDSM lifestyle?"

"Yeah," Christian said morosely, gazing down at his feet. "She knows pretty much everything about my past."

"That is not a bad thing, Christian," Flynn said approvingly. "Honesty is an important foundation for a relationship, and the fact that you're willing to tell her things that you've refused to talk about in the past shows that you really do trust her. However, considering how new and different this relationship is for the both of you, both of you will likely have some growing to do before you're fully ready to commit."

Christian felt his heart sink into his stomach. "So you're saying Ana and I aren't ready for her to come live in Seattle with me?"

"Not necessarily - I am saying that you two are on the right path to having a deep and meaningful relationship, but there are certain things you two must face about yourselves before you move too quickly. Anastasia's reaction to you essentially telling her that she and her son will be moving to Seattle someday is understandable if she knows about your past as a Dominant. She is likely afraid that you are trying to control her in a way similar to that of a submissive."

Christian blinked at Flynn, feeling alarmed. "I would never do that to her!"

"But does she know that?" Flynn asked pointedly.

Christian hesitated a second. "Yeah," he said, thought he felt a twinge of doubt. Had he done something to make Ana insecure in his feelings for her?

Flynn leaned back slightly in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of him. "Let's start from the beginning…"

For the next two hours or so, Flynn and Christian talked about his and Ana's relationship. Flynn helped Christian realize he should have brought up the idea of Ana and Ted moving to Seattle in a different way, and that his usual "CEO/Dom" method of ordering people around wasn't going to cut it with Ana if they were going to pursue a healthy relationship together. Flynn suggested whenever Christian wanted to talk to Ana about something important, he should try to put himself in Ana's shoes - think about how _he_ would feel if someone tried to make decisions for him the way he had done to Ana. Christian had to admit this whole therapy session definitely gave him some food for thought.

Finally, around noon, Christian met up with Taylor at the SUV and he slid into the backseat.

"GEH," he said once he was buckled in.

"Yes sir," Taylor said, pulling out into the street.

"Is Stephen in town, do you know?" Christian asked, pulling out his BlackBerry and typing something on it.

"He should be, sir," Taylor said. "Are you travelling somewhere?"

"I will tomorrow," Christian confirmed, glancing out the window. "Have Stephen prep Charlie Tango to depart tomorrow at eleven for Easton."

* * *

 **~Ana~**

On Tuesday after lunch, Ray decided to take Ted fishing with him on Lake Easton, giving Ana a few hours by herself in the house. It was a kind gesture on her father's part, but her mind was filled with too many thoughts about Christian, so she decided to busy herself with housework. She tidied up the living room and put away Ted's toys before going into the kitchen to sweep the floors and wash the dirty dishes from lunch.

Ana filled the sink with hot sudsy water, put on a pair of yellow rubber gloves, and began to wash the dirty plates and utensils. While she didn't necessarily like doing these types of chores, she knew they needed to be done, and menial tasks like these helped occupy her mind and keep her from thinking about Christian too much.

She scrubbed a couple dirty plates in the hot water, feeling a soft breeze blowing through a nearby open window. The faint whirrs of a helicopter sounded in the distance.

Ana continued to wash the dishes, hearing the helicopter getting a bit closer. She supposed someone was flying over the mountains, which caused the sounds to echo all over the valley. It was odd that someone was flying all the way out here in the first place. Hell, the last time she had even seen a helicopter around these parts was when…

Ana suddenly stopped scrubbing, her heart pounding in her chest.

 _No_.

It can't be him.

Without thinking, Ana suddenly ripped off her rubber gloves and ran toward the foyer, grabbing and putting on her shoes before rushing out the front door toward the road.

She saw the helicopter up in the sky, hovering near the valley about half a mile away. While Ana couldn't see from the distance what type of helicopter it was, she knew without a doubt it was Christian's.

Without thinking, she ran to her pickup truck.

The LCH building and the construction equipment were taking up most of the once-empty valley, but the helicopter managed to find a safe place to land on the far end of the flat grassy area. Ana sped her truck down the road before screeching to a stop on the side of the highway, hopping out and running toward the helicopter, which had now landed on the grass.

As Ana got closer, she saw a figure getting out of the helicopter. They seemed to notice her and began to head toward her - Ana immediately recognized the figure's copper hair and broad-shouldered stance.

 _Christian_.

"Ana!" Christian shouted as soon as she was within earshot. The blades of the helicopter were still whirring loudly behind him, and he stopped in his tracks as she continued to rush toward him. "Ana, I wanted to say I'm sorry…"

Ana ignored him as she ran up and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his in an exuberant kiss.

Christian only hesitated a second before kissing her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up in the air. Ana giggled against him as he spun her around, and she felt her heart soar with happiness as she felt weightless in his arms.

 _God, I've missed him._

"Wow," Christian panted as soon as they separated, and he set her back on her feet. He grinned. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"Shut up," Ana smirked up at him, feeling her cheeks flush with desire and happiness. She glanced down and away from him. "I'm sorry too."

"It's forgotten," Christian assured her, and he leaned down to kiss her once again.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Christian stays in Easton with the Steele's while he and Ana talk things out.**

 **If you liked this chapter, please leave a review!**


	23. Making it Work

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Making it Work**

Ana felt like she was on cloud nine as she and Christian kissed. As if on instinct, she lifted her hands and tangled her fingers in his hair as his arms tightened around her waist, holding her close. She was so happy he was here - so happy in this moment - that she never wanted it to end.

After what felt like hours, Christian pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, panting slightly. "I've missed you, Ana."

"I've missed you too," Ana said, and she pulled back slightly to look at the helicopter behind him. "Hell of an entrance, Mr. Grey."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I was impatient to get here, and driving would have taken too long. I hope I wasn't interrupting something?"

"Not at all. My dad took Ted fishing on the lake, so I was just home by myself," Ana said, gazing up at him and smiling. "I'd been thinking about you all day, and now here you are. It was like destiny."

Christian grinned widely. "Yes it was. Or maybe just incredibly good timing."

Ana giggled, wrapping her arms more tightly around his neck. "Definitely that too."

Christian chuckled before leaning down and pecking her once again on the lips. "Look, Ana," he began, pulling away slightly as he gazed at her with a more serious expression on his face. "About Sunday…"

Ana felt her heart stutter as her face fell. "No, it's okay Christian. I'm… I'm sorry about what I said to you. It was an overreaction."

"No, it wasn't," Christian stated. "I understand now why you reacted the way you did. I don't ever want you to think that I'm trying to control you or treat you like a submissive - you mean so much more to me than that."

"You don't treat me like a submissive, Christian," Ana insisted. "That's not what upset me. I guess I was just afraid that maybe you wanted a woman who was more submissive to you - someone who was more amenable and willing to agree to everything you said. I do want to be with you, Christian, but sometimes I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. It frightens me how much I feel for you."

Christian gazed at her imploringly. "Oh Ana…"

He took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, conveying the extent of his feelings for her. Ana kissed him back, her body filling with warm tingles as he did so.

"Ana, you're everything I've ever wanted," he said once he pulled away, gazing into her eyes. "Ever since you and Ted have come into my life, I've never felt happier or more fulfilled. I feel like my life has meaning again, you know?" Christian hesitated, as if searching for the right words to say as he stared deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Ana, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you always know that."

Ana felt her heart thump loudly in her chest as she stared at Christian, almost unsure of what he had said.

 _He loves me?_

"You love me?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears as she gazed at him, searching his face.

"I do," Christian nodded, his expression filling with so much love and adoration it made Ana's heart soar.

"Christian," Ana practically leapt at him, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Christian laughed as he caught her in his arms, clutching her around her waist as her feet lifted from the ground. "I love you too."

"Really?" Christian set her down and looked into her eyes, the smile on his handsome face practically blinding. "You do?"

"Of course I do," Ana said, feeling emotion clouding her voice as she beamed back at him. "I'm crazy about you, Christian. And to be completely honest, I do love the idea of you, me, and Ted living together in Seattle someday. It's something I would love to share with the both of you, and I don't want you to think I'm afraid of committing to you."

"I don't think that, Ana - I'd love for you and Ted to live with me in Seattle someday too," Christian said sincerely, smiling at her. "I get it though. Ted's about to start school, and you run a business here with your dad… it's not the right time, and I can understand that. When we're ready to take that step together, we'll talk about it and we'll decide together what we're going to do."

Ana couldn't fight the wide smile on her face, relieved that he finally understood. "Thank you, Christian."

She leaned up and kissed him again, her all-consuming love for him filling her heart and making her feel light as air. Christian eagerly kissed her back, and everything was right in the world.

~/~

"Christian."

Ray greeted Christian and Ana with a look of surprise on his face, watching them step out of the pickup truck and walk over to them. Ray and Ted had just come back from fishing on the lake, and Ray was admittedly a little shocked to see Christian in front of him and holding hands with his daughter.

"Hi Ray - Ted," Christian smiled widely at the two of them. Ted bounced excitedly on his toes.

"Cwistan!" he exclaimed happily before running up to him. Christian immediately knelt down and held out his arms just as Ted crashed into his embrace, and Ana and Ray both laughed.

"Good to see you again, Christian," Ray smiled as Christian got back to his feet, lifting up Ted and perching his on his hip. "So you and Ana made up then?"

"Dad," Ana said embarrassedly, her cheeks blushing pink. Christian didn't look embarrassed, however, as he smiled widely over at Ray.

"Yes we did. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was for how we left things, and I just couldn't wait to see her again. So I flew my helicopter out here as quickly as I could so she and I could talk things out."

"Christian, my dad doesn't need to know every detail of our relationship," Ana turned to Christian, giving him a pointed look.

"Well, he asked," Christian said defensively, and Ana rolled her eyes.

"I wanna hel-wih-copper!" Ted suddenly exclaimed loudly, and the adults all couldn't help but laugh.

"You want a helicopter?" Christian asked him, and Ted nodded enthusiastically. "Well, I'm sorry I can't give you mine, but I can show it to you if you'd like?"

"Yeah!" Ted squealed happily.

Christian chuckled. "Well, come on then - let's go."

He, Ted, Ana, and Ray all made their way over to the pickup truck so they could head out to the valley where Christian's helicopter was. As they walked along, Ray fell in step beside his daughter and placed his arm around her shoulders, giving her a side hug and shoulder squeeze. Ana giggled.

"Feel better now, sweetheart?" he asked, and Ana smiled sincerely.

"I do," she said, and Ray knew she was telling the truth. He nodded.

"Good."

~/~

The look of awe and excitement on Ted's face when he got an up-close look at Christian's helicopter was adorable, and Ana couldn't help but smile as Christian let Ted look all around the helicopter and inside the cockpit. Even her father looked impressed as Christian began to explain to him all the training he had to take when first starting to learn how to fly Charlie Tango.

Ana grinned as she watched her father and boyfriend bond over Christian's helicopter. She enjoyed seeing her two favorite guys in the world getting along so well.

Ted suddenly ran past her, giggling excitedly as he pretended to be an airplane.

 _Make that my three favorite guys in the world_ , Ana grinned as she watched her son goofing around. Ted suddenly spun around and ran toward his mother, and she knelt down before scooping him up in her arms, causing him to squeal happily.

The four of them spent about an hour by Charlie Tango before they all walked over to the newly-constructed Luxury Country Homes building nearby. Christian, Ray, and Ana all began talking about when the business was going to open, and Christian explained that Elliot had finally found the crew he wanted working at LCH. Later in the week he was going to ship the new furniture, desks, and shelving here so it could be fully furnished. Ana couldn't help but look at the LCH building with a smile on her face - even now, after all was said and done, she felt incredibly proud that she had helped build this place.

"It's getting close to dinnertime," Ray noted after they had been talking awhile, and he checked his watch. "We should probably head back soon. I'm sorry, Christian - were you going to head back to Seattle this evening?"

"Actually no - I was going to stay in Easton for the night," Christian said, looking a bit embarrassed. "All my luggage is back inside the helicopter… I'd hoped to spend a bit more time with Ana and the rest of you guys today. In fact, I rented out the same Airbnb I had stayed in during my time here, but just for tonight."

"We actually have a spare bedroom in our house. You could've just asked to spend the night with us," Ray insisted.

"Oh no, Ray. I couldn't impose upon you like that…" Christian said politely.

"Oh please, it wouldn't be an imposition. And it's better than you spending all that extra money on a rental home you're only using for one night."

"Christian's a billionaire, Dad - I doubt him spending money for one night in a rental home is going to break him," Ana said amusedly to her father before turning to Christian. "You can stay at the rental home tonight if you'd like, but would you like to come over to our place for dinner at least?"

"I'd love to Ana," Christian smiled at her. "But I was kind of hoping I could take all you guys out for dinner tonight. My treat."

"That's very kind of you son, but the only restaurants you're gonna find out here are breakfast diners and dive bars," Ray smirked. "You can have dinner with us - I'm gonna fire up the grill and cook up some hamburgers, and Ana's gonna make her famous potato salad. What do you say?"

"Sounds great - thank you Ray," Christian grinned, glancing over at Ana beside him. Ana put her arm around his waist, and Christian wrapped his arm around her shoulders before kissing her sweetly on the forehead.

"Let's go, lovebirds," Ray smirked at them, and Ana and Christian laughed before following him over to Ted so they could head back to the house.

* * *

 **~Christian~**

The relief Christian had felt upon seeing Ana as soon as he stepped off the helicopter was overwhelming, and he was even happier when she ran up to him, threw her arms around him, and kissed him right there in the middle of the field. A part of him had been concerned she didn't want anything to do with him after their fight back at Escala, but as soon as she reciprocated his proclamation of love, suddenly everything felt right in the world. Christian didn't know what he had done right in his life to deserve a girl like Ana, but he was damn sure he would do everything in his power to keep her with him as long as she'd let him.

After spending a wonderful afternoon with Ana, Ray, and Ted, the four of them went back to the house for dinner, and Christian opted to help out Ray on the back patio grilling hamburgers. Both of them were drinking beer and talking about the Mariners, and inside Ana was setting the table in the dining room while Ted played with his toy cars on the kitchen floor.

Christian watched his beautiful girlfriend through the patio door, enjoying the domesticity of having dinner with her, her father and her son. There was no security, no GEH, and no work whatsoever - it was wonderful.

"You really love her, don't you?" Ray asked, noticing the smile on Christian's face as he gazed at Ana through the window.

"I do," Christian smiled, turning back to Ray. "I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't. I made sure to tell her I loved her as soon as I got here."

"I'm glad," Ray chuckled, flipping a couple of the hamburgers as they sizzled on the grill. "She loves you too, y'know. I can see it in her eyes."

"Really?" Christian asked before glancing back over at Ana, grinning happily. "She means the world to me, Ray - she and Ted both. It would kill me if anything happened to either of them."

"I'm glad to hear that from you, son. I really enjoy seeing my little girl this happy, and if you don't mind my saying so, I hope that someday down the line you'll make an honest woman out of her."

Christian looked over at Ray, a little surprised. While he had no doubt in his mind he wanted to marry Ana someday, he wasn't sure if it was something he should be discussing with her father like this. "I hope so too, Ray. But that's probably something Ana and I should talk about first."

"Understandable," Ray nodded with a smile. "Burgers are ready if you want to grab me a plate to put them on."

Christian hurried inside to get a plate, and he saw that Ana had finished the rest of the meal. He helped Ray get all the burgers plated up before bringing it in the dining room where Ana and Ted were waiting.

The four of them had a wonderful meal where they all talked and laughed while eating their delicious dinner of burgers, potato salad, coleslaw, fruit salad, and chips. Christian couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun at a dinner, except for maybe those summer barbecues he and his family had had when he was a kid. Christian realized he hadn't introduced Ana and Ted to his parents yet, and he resolved himself to do so the next time they came to visit him in Seattle.

Dinner commenced for several hours, with it eventually ending with a dessert of rocky road ice cream. It was past Ted's bedtime at this point, and he was practically nodding off into his bowl, much to everyone's amusement. Ana walked over to pick him up in her arms so she could take him to bed.

"I should probably head back to my place," Christian said reluctantly, getting to his feet as well and stretching his back after having to sit down for so long.

"Just wait a few more minutes and I'll walk over with you," Ana said to Christian before heading down the hall carrying a sleeping Ted in her arms. Christian went to put his shoes on while Ray finished cleaning up everyone's empty ice cream bowls.

After a few minutes, Ana walked back out to put her shoes on as well. "Alright, let's go."

"If I don't see you again tomorrow, Christian, goodbye," Ray said, walking over to shake Christian's hand. He brought his other hand up to grasp his arm. "We're glad you came to Easton today."

"I am too," Christian grinned. "Bye Ray."

Christian and Ana then made their way out the front door and began walking together to the house next door. The sun had gone down at this point, making the sky a dark inky blue; out here and away from the city lights, Christian could see every single star in the night sky.

"I was wondering if you would like to go somewhere with me and Ted tomorrow morning," Ana suddenly said, and Christian looked over at her. "I understand if you have to leave early for Seattle, but this shouldn't take more than half an hour or so."

"Okay," Christian said, feeling curious. "Where are we going exactly?"

"You'll see," Ana said simply, a small smirk on her face, and Christian chuckled.

"Okay then, Ms. Steele."

They had arrived at Christian's porch, and they both stopped before entering the front door. Ana turned to Christian. "I should probably head back. If we're going to be up early, I have to be there to wake up Ted and get him ready in the morning."

Christian felt his spirits sink, having hoped he could have spent at least tonight with Ana before he had to head back. "Oh. Okay."

Ana gazed at him for a moment before grinning. "I can't sleep over… but I could probably spend an hour or two here tonight. If you'd like."

Christian stared at her for a moment or two before suddenly grinning, his heartbeat pounding as his arousal immediately spiked. "Oh baby, I love you."

Ana giggled and squealed as Christian suddenly grasped her around the waist and kissed her fiercely, lifting her up in his arms as he did so. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him tightly as she kissed him back, tangling her fingers in his hair. Christian blindly reached for the door handle and pushed it open, stumbling into the house with his girl in his arms before shutting the door behind them.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter Ana takes Christian and Ted somewhere before Christian has to leave. Christian then plans Ana and Ted's next visit to Seattle.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!**


	24. A Proper Goodbye

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: A Proper Goodbye**

Christian got a text from Ana at about six o'clock the next morning, saying she and Ted were coming over in about half an hour. Christian had been up since about five-thirty and had gotten a little work done by this point - he texted her back to let her know he'd be ready, curious as to where they were going. He quickly showered and changed out of his pajamas into blue jeans, hiking boots, and a flannel shirt.

His doorbell rang at exactly six-thirty, and Christian answered the door to see Ana and Ted standing on his front porch, both of them dressed similarly to him.

"Good morning," Ana smiled at him. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and as usual there was not an ounce of makeup on her beautiful face. "You look nice. Ready to go?"

"Yup. Are you going to tell me where it is we're going?" Christian smirked, grabbing his keys and wallet before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

"It's only about a mile or two outside of town," Ana said as she smiled sweetly at him. "C'mon, I'll drive."

Ana led Ted and Christian over to the truck, and she picked up Ted to put him in his carseat while Christian got in on the passenger side. Ana then got in the driver's seat and started the ignition, pulling out to the road and heading down the highway. They were silent as they drove along, and Christian simply gazed out the window toward the sunrise peeking up over the Cascade mountains - pinks and yellows swirled together with low-hanging clouds along the beautiful, tree-lined horizon. It was truly a spectacular site, and Christian felt remiss to leave all this behind when he had to go back to Seattle later today.

Ana finally slowed down the truck and pulled off of the highway into a side road made of dirt and gravel. They were in a lush, grassy area with trees lining the sides of the road, and after about a quarter mile Ana turned left beyond a small copse of evergreen trees.

They had pulled into an even smaller dirt road made of two tire tracks leading to a brownstone mausoleum. Behind it, Christian could see a vast expanse of gravestones.

Ana parked the truck near the mausoleum and turned off the ignition. "Do you have your present, Teddy?" she asked her son, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Yeah!" Ted said from the backseat, and Christian looked behind him to see Ted holding a small plush bear.

"You coming?" Ana asked Christian, reaching into the backseat to grab a brown shopping bag there.

"Oh um, yeah," Christian quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the truck. He wanted to ask what they were doing at a cemetery this early in the morning, but a part of him knew exactly why they were here. He felt it was best not to say anything.

Christian followed Ana and Ted through the cemetery, walking past a multitude of gravestones before finally arriving at one in particular. It was a tall, slim piece of white marble with an opulent-looking cross carved out on top. Words were etched into the face:

 _Here Lies Hannah Borowitz_

 _August 16th 1988 - October 12th 2007_

 _Beloved mother and dear friend, forever in our hearts_

" _Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."_

 _Matthew 11:28_

They were here to visit Ana's late friend and Ted's biological mother, Hannah. Christian couldn't help but notice her date of birth on the gravestone was today's date, August 16th. It would have been her birthday today.

Christian remained silent as Ana and Ted walked forward to place their gifts at the foot of Hannah's grave. With Ana's urging, Ted stepped forward first and shyly set down the teddy bear at the base of the gravestone. Ana then reached inside her shopping bag and pulled out a framed picture and a plant pot containing a beautiful bouquet of carnations. She walked forward and placed them right beside the bear - the picture was propped up against the tombstone, and Christian saw that it was of Hannah and Ana in their caps and gowns at their high school graduation.

Ana stood staring down at Hannah's grave for a moment or two, not saying a word, before finally turning back around. Christian saw that her eyes were glassy with unshed tears, and he instinctively moved over to take her into his arms. Ana willingly melted into his embrace, burying her face in his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Christian simply held her, rubbing his hand along her back and resting his cheek on top of her head. He felt his heart constrict with pain at the thought of her grief over her dead friend.

After a few seconds, Ana sniffled and pulled away slightly, offering Christian a small smile. "Sorry," she muttered, bringing her hand up and wiping away her tears.

"Don't be," Christian said sincerely, his arms still wrapped protectively around her. He wished he could take away her sadness and pain, but there was very little he could do aside from just hold her.

"She would have been twenty-four today," Ana said, turning to glance back over at Hannah's grave. "Every year on her birthday, my dad and I take Ted to her grave and give her flowers and a teddy bear. This year, I thought it was a good idea if you came along with us instead."

Christian smiled. "I'm honored," he said sincerely. "I wish I could've known her when she was alive."

"I do too," Ana smiled, keeping her arm wrapped around his waist as she turned back toward Hannah's grave. "She really was an amazing person. If she were here right now, she would be shocked I was even standing here with a boy - I was always the shy one when it came to guys, and she was the exact opposite." Ana went silent, thinking for a few seconds. "Actually, if Hannah knew you when she was alive, she probably would have tried to hook up with you. So nevermind."

Christian couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, baby - I only have eyes for you."

"Good."

Ana and Christian stood gazing down at Hannah's grave for a couple more minutes, neither of them saying a word as they kept their arms wrapped around each other's waists. Ted had wandered off on his own, plucking a few blades of grass from the ground around the gravestones. A light breeze now blew through the cemetery, causing their hair to blow back slightly; the sun had almost completely risen over the mountaintops at this point, casting a bright yellow glow across the gravestones and giving them long shadows along the grass.

Ana rested her head against Christian's shoulder, and he felt at peace with the world.

* * *

 **~Ana~**

Soon after they had visited Hannah's grave at the cemetery, Christian had to go grab his luggage from the rental home before heading back to Seattle on his helicopter. Ana and Ted went out with him to say goodbye before he left, and Ana had to practically restrain Ted from jumping onto the helicopter after Christian. The two of them stood back a ways as they watched Christian start up his helicopter and rise up into the sky, waving at them through the window as he went. Pretty soon, he had disappeared over the mountaintops and was gone.

Ana and Ted went back home to see that Ray was cooking breakfast. He glanced up from the stove when they walked in.

"Good morning, you two. Did Christian go back to Seattle?" he asked.

"Yeah, we were just out by his helicopter to say goodbye," Ana said, taking off her shoes before moving over to help Ted with his.

"I heard you guys leaving pretty early this morning. Did you do anything else?" Ray asked, stirring his scrambled eggs and sausage bits in the pan.

"It's Hannah's birthday," Ana said simply. She removed Ted's shoes, and he immediately ran off to the living room where his toys were.

"Oh, it's the sixteenth already?" Ray asked, frowning over at Ana. "Shoot, I completely forgot it was Hannah's birthday today. Why didn't you tell me so I could go with you guys to pay my respects?"

"I'm sorry Dad. I thought it was something Ted and I could share with Christian this year. I didn't mean to exclude you."

"No, it's okay," Ray sighed, turning back to the stove. "I can drive out there a bit later today to visit her. I suppose it's my fault for forgetting."

"I'm sure Hannah would forgive you," Ana smiled fondly. She walked over to her dad in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly from behind. "She loved you, you know. You were the only father she ever had."

"Jeez Annie, you wanna get all sappy before I've even had my coffee?" Ray chuckled, smiling over his shoulder at her. "I miss Hannah too darling, but I know she lives on through the memories we shared with her, and through her little boy. I'm sure she would be eternally grateful for what you've done for Ted, Ana."

"Now who's the one getting all sappy?" Ana grinned, and Ray chuckled again. She hugged him one more time around his middle before letting him go. "Breakfast almost ready?"

"Only a few more minutes," Ray said, turning back to the stove. "Why don't you get the orange juice out of the fridge?"

"Sure," Ana smiled. For some reason, she was feeling lighter than she had felt in awhile. Since she had come back from visiting Hannah this morning, she felt more at peace with the world - she was honestly glad she had brought Christian along with her today, and she felt confident she had made the right decision when she opened that part of herself to him.

* * *

 **~The next day~**

Elliot Grey had come to town.

He and a few members of his construction crew had driven several moving vans all the way from Seattle carrying the new furniture and shelving for LCH. They were likely going to be here all day facilitating everything being moved into the building, and while Ana would have preferred Elliot's brother to be here instead, she decided to head down to the valley to say hello to him.

"Ana!" Elliot greeted her jubilantly when he saw her walk over to him from her truck. Behind him, several men were unloading large boxes from the backs of the dry vans. "Great to see you again! You've come for the better Grey brother, I see."

"Very funny," Ana smirked, giving him a friendly hug hello. "It's good to see you again, Elliot. I don't know if you heard, but Christian was actually here yesterday."

"Yeah, he mentioned something to me about that," Elliot nodded. "Guess he couldn't wait to see you again - looks like my little bro's got it pretty bad for you."

Ana couldn't help but grin, inordinately pleased. "I know the feeling."

The two of them began to talk for a few minutes about the new LCH building and where all the furniture was going to fit inside. Elliot was telling her about how the front lobby was going to be arranged when a green truck suddenly pulled up on the side of the road and parked right behind Ana's pickup truck. She frowned at it.

"What's Greg Clayton doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, I called him earlier today to let him know I was coming with all these moving vans," Elliot said. "I didn't realize he was going to come down here though. Am I breaking some sort of regulation?"

"I doubt it - Greg just likes to check in with people," Ana smiled, but her smile faded as soon as she saw Paul Clayton step out of the passenger side of his father's truck. Ana hadn't spoken Paul since the barbecue a couple weeks ago, and now he was no longer in a boot, meaning his fractured ankle was healed now. That didn't offer much comfort to Ana at the moment, however, as she saw Paul looking right at her as he and his father approached them.

"Elliot, glad to have you back in Easton," Greg greeted Elliot with a smile, shaking his hand.

"Good to be back, Greg," Elliot grinned back. "How goes it this morning?"

"Not too bad... Ana, I didn't know you would be out here too," Greg smiled over at her.

"I just came by to say hello to Elliot," Ana smiled back. "I won't be in your way too long. I was going to head back home soon anyway."

"Oh no, please don't leave on our account," Greg insisted. "Feel free to stick around as long as you'd like. In fact, Paul…?"

Greg turned to his son, giving him a pointed look. Ana glanced between the two in confusion, and Paul cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Um, right," he said before turning to Ana. "Ana, do you mind if we talk for a second?"

Ana dearly wanted to say no, especially since she was fairly certain he was going to apologize for what happened at the barbecue, but with Greg and Elliot here she felt she didn't have a choice. "Sure."

He led the way over to his truck and Ana followed him rather reluctantly. They were now out of earshot of Greg and Elliot, and Ana felt briefly worried that Paul was going to have her get in the truck with him, but thankfully he stopped just short of it before turning toward her.

"Ana, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for how I confronted you at my dad's barbecue a couple weeks ago," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at his feet. "It was… rude and inappropriate, and I shouldn't have done it."

"No you shouldn't have," Ana said coldly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I accept your apology, now can I go?"

"Wait," Paul said quickly, looking up at her. "I mean it, Ana - I feel bad about what I had said to you. I may not like the fact that you're dating Christian Grey, but I should have respected your choice to be with him instead of me."

"Just cut the shit, Paul," Ana snapped, glaring at him. Paul blinked, taken aback. "I'm sick and tired of you constantly professing your feelings for me. I've been telling you for years that I don't feel that way about you, and yet you still persistently flirt with me no matter how many times I ask you to stop. I don't know how many times I have to tell you I don't like you for you to finally back off. I don't like telling you 'no' any more than you like to hear it, but if you're going to keep pushing me like this then I don't really have a choice but to keep doing it!"

Paul looked alarmed at her diatribe, clearly shocked by her words, and he didn't say anything for a moment or two. "Ana, I'm… I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you are," Ana bit out. "You know, Paul, despite everything I think you would have a lot to offer a girl. But you're never going to find the right person if you focus all your time and energy on pursuing someone who's told you time and time again that they're not interested. You're just wasting your time - and mine."

Paul stared at her for a moment or two before grimacing, looking upset. "Jeez Ana, I told you that I'm sorry and it won't happen again. What more do you want to hear from me?"

"I want to hear you stick to your word. I'll truly believe you're sorry when you stop putting yourself in a position to be constantly apologizing to me," Ana said firmly. She didn't bother waiting for a response before she turned around and walked back over to Elliot and Greg by the vans, not sparing Paul another glance.

"Hey Ana. Did you and Paul talk?" Greg asked once Ana approached them.

"Yeah we talked," Ana said. "But I think I'm going to head back to my place right now - it was good seeing you guys again."

Elliot and Greg both hugged her goodbye and Ana walked back toward her truck, not sparing another glance in Paul's direction. While Ana knew she should want to move to Seattle for the right reasons, a part of her would be happy to move there with Christian just so she would never have to put up with Paul fucking Clayton ever again.

~/~

Thankfully, the rest of the day passed by normally, and Ana and Ray were able to get some work done in the carpentry shop that afternoon. Ted was spending the day over at the McCallister's with a few of his friends, and he wouldn't be back until after dinner - while he was gone, Ana decided to take a few minutes to herself up in her room so she could Skype Christian.

She powered up the laptop on her desk and clicked onto Skype. She sent Christian an invite for a video chat, and after a few seconds he appeared onscreen. He was sitting in his home office at Escala, and when he smiled at her, Ana couldn't help but feel warm tingles fill her body. She smiled widely back.

"Hey beautiful," Christian said. "I was just thinking about you. How are you today?"

"I'm pretty good. Ted's over at a friend's house for the day, so it's nice to have a little peace and quiet around here," Ana giggled. "I'm sorry, I should have asked if you're free to Skype right now. Am I interrupting something?"

"You're not interrupting anything, Ana," Christian said sincerely. "Even if you were, I'd always make time for you, no matter what."

Ana smiled, blushing slightly. "Glad to hear it, Mr. Grey."

Christian chuckled. "So how has your day been today, Ms. Steele?"

"Definitely better now," Ana grinned. "Your brother actually came to Easton today for his furniture delivery, and when I went to go visit him, Greg and Paul Clayton happened to stop by…"

Ana began recounting her uncomfortable conversation with Paul today, and while Christian was silent as she spoke, the hard line of his jaw gave away his true feelings.

"God, that guy doesn't know when to quit," Christian said in a hard voice when she was done, and he shook his head. "How has he not figured out yet that you don't want to be with him?"

"I don't know. I just hope what I said got through to him," Ana grimaced. "I know that Greg's been trying to talk some sense into him, so maybe that's helped too."

Christian didn't say anything, but it looked like he had a few choice words about Paul Clayton he wanted to speak up about. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and smiled, changing the subject: "I actually got some good news today, so I'm glad you called. I spoke to my parents earlier, and they both said they'd love to meet you soon. I was thinking maybe this weekend, you and Ted could come up to visit me in Seattle again and we can all have lunch at their estate? My brother and sister are coming too."

"Oh," Ana said, her heart suddenly pounding. "Um… wow. We're meeting the whole family?"

Christian's smile faded. "You don't want to?"

"No! No, I do," Ana said quickly. "It's just that… I've never had to meet a boyfriend's family before. It's kind of a scary thought."

Christian smiled once again. "Don't worry baby, my family will absolutely love you. And they'll love Teddy too - I guarantee my sister Mia will want to go shopping for him within the first hour of meeting you guys."

Ana smiled, though she still felt a bit nervous. "Okay."

"They'll love you," Christian stated firmly. "You have nothing to worry about, baby."

Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from Christian's end and he glanced down at his phone. "Oh, I'm sorry - this is my CFO Ros. Can I call you back Ana?"

"Of course," Ana said. "We can talk later. Love you."

"I love you too," Christian smiled. A moment later, the video call ended.

For several moments, Ana just sat staring at her computer screen, a million thoughts swirling around inside her head. Despite Christian's reassurances, she was unable to tamp down the nerves she suddenly felt at the idea of meeting Christian's perfect family in just one short week.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana and Ted go to Seattle to meet the whole Grey family.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	25. Meet the Family

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Meet the Family**

 **~Saturday morning~**

"We're almost there, baby."

Christian, Ana, and Ted were all riding in the backseat of Christian's Audi SUV as Taylor drove them to Bellevue. Ana and Ted had arrived at Escala Friday evening, and this morning the three of them were going to be joining the rest of the Grey family for brunch over at Grace and Carrick's estate. It was just going to be a casual get-together, but Christian could practically feel the anxiety radiating off of Ana as she stared out the car window, watching the homes and buildings they passed.

"God, don't remind me… do I look okay?" Ana asked nervously, straightening the hem of her short dress. It was a hot summer day today, so Christian thought she looked perfect in her lace embroidered black summer dress, bohemian beaded sandals, and her long wavy chestnut hair hanging loose around her shoulders, pushed away from her face with a pair of sunglasses on her head.

"You look fantastic, baby," Christian assured her, smiling as he took her hand in his own and squeezed gently. "I've already told you, you have nothing to worry about."

Ana grimaced at him, though she didn't say anything as she reached over toward Ted sitting in his carseat opposite her and straightened his shirt, making sure he looked nice. He was wearing a cute blue polo shirt and khaki pants, which was perfect for today's weather, but Christian had the distinct impression Ana was trying really hard to impress. She didn't need to, though - Christian was sure his family would love both of them.

Taylor finally pulled into the long winding driveway of the Grey Estate, which loomed into view beyond a small copse of trees. Christian's parents lived in a gated community, along with all the other wealthy doctors and lawyers in the upper echelon of Seattle society, and their home was a sprawling estate that made Ana gape in shock.

"Oh my God, you grew up here?" she squeaked out, still staring in awe at the house before her. "This place is a palace!"

Christian chuckled as Taylor parked the car off to the side. Christian opened the backdoor and helped Ana and Ted get out of the backseat. Just as they closed the car door behind them, a noise came from nearby.

"Christian!"

A woman had walked out the front door and stood on the porch, waving at them with a smile on her face. She was a very pretty middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair, blue capris, a loose white button down shirt, and a long gold necklace. She was holding what looked like a mimosa in her hand as she smiled widely at them all.

"Hello Mother," Christian smiled at the woman as she began to walk toward them.

"Darling, I'm so glad you could make it," she approached them and hugged Christian tightly with one arm. She pulled away and smiled brightly over at Ana and Ted. "And you must be Anastasia and Ted! I've heard so much about you."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Grey," Ana smiled politely, holding out her hand to shake. Grace waved it aside, handing her glass to Christian before pulling Ana into a warm hug.

"Oh please, call me Grace," she said sweetly, and Ana couldn't help but smile, hugging her back. Grace stepped back and held Ana at arm's length, giving her a onceover. "My, Christian wasn't exaggerating - you are absolutely gorgeous!"

Ana blushed as Christian laughed. "Mom, stop embarrassing her."

"Oh, hush now darling… and you must be Ted," Grace smiled down at the little boy, and he grinned happily back. "It's wonderful to meet you, young man."

"So is everyone here now?" Christian asked, glancing toward the house.

"Your father is upstairs in his office finishing up a call, but he should be down soon," Grace said. "Elliot and I are sitting out on the back patio by the pool, Gretchen's finishing up the food, and Mia and her friends are mixing up the drinks."

"What? Mia's friends are here?" Christian looked crestfallen, and he glanced over at Ana. "I thought it was just going to be the family."

"I'm sorry, darling - Mia's friends have been out of town for the last few weeks, and so I guess she couldn't resist inviting them over for the day," Grace said, accepting her drink back from Christian. "I doubt they're going to stay for much longer, though - they were talking about going out shopping this afternoon. Would you all like to come inside?"

Christian, Ana, and Ted agreed, and they followed Grace toward the front door before walking inside. Ana had to keep herself from staring at the opulent entryway with a large sweeping curved staircase leading up to the second floor indoor balcony. The whole house was very white and pristine-looking, much like Escala was, but the Grey Estate had a homey-ness and warmth to it that Christian's penthouse seemed to lack. Ana couldn't help but like it.

Grace led them down the hallway to a large open concept dining room and kitchen area. A young blonde woman in a white button-down uniform was busily cooking brunch at the stove, and she glanced up when they approached.

"Dr. Grey, everything should be ready in about twenty minutes," the woman said to Grace politely.

"Thank you, Gretchen," Grace said to her.

Gretchen glanced over at Christian and smiled sweetly. "Hello Christian."

Christian didn't respond, though his hand holding Ana's tightened ever so slightly. Ana, feeling a sudden dislike of this Gretchen girl, moved closer to his side, bringing her other hand up to rub his forearm.

"C'mon you three - let's go say hi to everyone else," Grace said, and they all made their way toward the patio door leading into the backyard.

The back patio was just as beautiful and opulent as the rest of the estate - a sprawling stone patio led down several wide steps toward a large inground pool and jacuzzi. There was some patio furniture surrounding a firepit off to the side of the yard with a large canopied gazebo covering it; several young women were sitting there, chatting with each other. Elliot was standing off to the side of the pool wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks, pouring himself what looked like a margarita from an outdoor wet bar. He looked up and grinned widely when he saw who was here.

"Ana - Ted!" he exclaimed, setting down his drink before walking toward them. "I can't believe you made it!"

"Didn't Christian tell you we'd be here?" Ana asked just as Elliot wrapped his arms around her in a big bear hug. She giggled as she hugged him back.

"He said you were coming, but I didn't think he was telling the truth," Elliot let go of Ana before smirking at his little brother. "I figured he would've screwed everything up by now."

"Shut up, Lelliot," Christian smirked at his brother, who just grinned back. At that moment, the three young women who had been sitting on the patio furniture got up from their seats and approached them; Ana noticed they were all very skinny and beautiful, each of them wearing a designer bikini with a cover up.

"Hi you must be Ana," one of them said with a bright smile. She had beautiful olive-colored skin and short black hair, and her bikini and cover-up were both bright pink. "I'm Mia, Christian's little sister. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Ana smiled, shaking her proffered hand. She then gestured to Ted beside her. "And this is my son, Ted."

Mia's eyes seemed to bug slightly as she smiled in delight. "Oh my gosh, you have a _son_?" she asked, sounding shocked as she gazed down at Ted. "I had no idea! It's so nice to meet you Ted."

Ted, looking a bit shy with all these strangers around, simply smiled back.

"I'm Marianne, and this is Lily," one of the other girls said to Ana. She was a tall Asian girl with long jet-black hair and a bright green bikini, and Lily was a busty blonde with a fake tan and a white sparkly bikini. The lingering look Lily was giving to Christian made Ana instantly dislike her.

"Nice to meet you," Ana smiled politely at them, and she casually moved a bit closer to Christian's side, gently squeezing his hand that she was still holding. Christian glanced down at her and smiled.

"Mommy, can I go swimming?" Ted suddenly asked, bouncing excitedly on his little feet. The adults all chuckled.

"Maybe after brunch sweetie. Your swim trunks are in my bag, which I left in the car."

"Taylor can grab it for you," Christian said, nodding at Taylor who was standing behind them. He nodded before walking back into the house. "Why don't we all sit down for a bit and have a drink? My dad should be here soon, and then we can all eat."

"Okay," Ana agreed, still feeling a bit nervous as she followed Christian and Grace over to some of the empty lawn chairs beside the pool. Elliot suddenly ran over to Ted and swooped him up into his arms, causing the little boy to squeal and giggle happily. Everyone else watched in amusement as Elliot began to jog across the patio with a squealing Ted over his shoulder, a wide grin on his goofy face.

"Oh Elliot," Grace shook her head to herself, smiling indulgently at her oldest son. "I'll never understand why that boy plays the field so much when he's so clearly made out to be a dad."

"I've always seen him as more of a fun uncle," Christian said, and Ana and Grace both chuckled. The three of them sat down in the lawn chairs just as Taylor returned with Ana's bag.

"Thank you Taylor," Christian said as he set the bag at Ana's side. Taylor nodded at them politely before walking away.

"Would you guys like something to drink?" Grace asked, gesturing to the outdoor wet bar. "Mia and her friends made some margaritas and mimosas, but we also have water, lemonade, soda, and sparkling water."

"Sparkling water sounds good," Ana said.

"I can get that for you, baby," Christian said. He pressed a quick kiss to Ana's cheek before making his way over to the bar.

"…You know, I could hardly believe it when Christian told me he had met a girl he wanted to introduce to me and his father," Grace said, and Ana looked over at her. "Now that I've met you, I can understand why he's been so happy lately."

Ana couldn't help but smile widely, her cheeks blushing pink. "Thank you, Grace - I've been really happy with him too. To be honest, I've been really nervous about meeting you guys this weekend. I had no idea what you would think of me and Ted."

"Oh darling, please don't worry yourself over that," Grace insisted, reaching over to pat Ana on the hand. "You and your son both make Christian very happy, and that's all that matters. Now, I want to know more about what you do, dear - I hear that you and your father run a carpentry shop together…"

* * *

 **~Christian~**

Christian was supposed to be fetching drinks for Ana and himself, but he couldn't help but gaze over at his beautiful girlfriend holding a conversation with Grace beside the pool. Ana was smiling and talking about something that clearly animated her, and after a moment the two of them laughed. Christian's heart warmed at the sight of his girlfriend and mother getting along so well.

"Hey Christian."

Christian's spirits immediately sank upon hearing Lily greet him. He glanced over at her disinterestedly. "Lily."

"I haven't seen you in awhile," she smiled coquettishly, crossing her arms in front of her chest and tilting her head slightly. "How've you been?"

"I've been good - spending a lot of time with Ana and Ted," Christian said, turning back to the wet bar and pouring drinks for him and Ana. Lily let out a small huff.

"You could at least try to be nice and say hi to me," she insisted. "Marianne and I were hoping to talk to you a bit today - we're both leaving soon to go shopping out in Montlake."

"Then goodbye," Christian said firmly. Before Lily could respond, however, the patio door opened and a man stepped outside.

"Dad," Christian greeted his father with a smile, moving past Lily to walk toward him. Carrick had taken off his usual suit coat and was wearing just a button-down blue shirt with the collar open and sleeves rolled up. He glanced over and smiled when he saw Christian approach.

"Hello Christian - it's good to see you," Carrick smiled, greeting his son with a hug. "When did you get here?"

"About ten minutes ago," Christian said. "Mom said you were taking a call up in your office."

"Yeah, I've been working on a will dispute case that's getting pretty nasty," Carrick grimaced, shaking his head. "But today shouldn't about work. I want to meet this new girlfriend of yours."

Christian smiled as he gestured over to where Ana sat chatting with his mother. "That's Ana over there, talking to Mom. And that's her son Ted over there with Elliot."

Carrick glanced over at Elliot, who was pretending to run away as Ted chased him around the pool. He raised his eyebrows. "Oh. Ana has a son?"

"Yeah. Mom didn't tell you?"

Carrick shook his head. "No, she didn't." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but thought better of it - he looked back over at Christian before offering him a small smile. "I can't wait to meet them."

Christian smiled before leading him over to Grace and Ana. "Ana - this is my father, Carrick," he said. Ana looked up at them with a smile. "Dad, this is Ana."

"It's nice to meet you," Ana smiled, holding out her hand, and Carrick shook it.

"Nice to meet you too, Ana."

Just then, Gretchen stepped onto the patio to announce that brunch was ready.

"Excellent," Grace smiled, getting to her feet, and Ana followed suit. "Come on, everyone - we can all get our food and eat out here together under the gazebo."

"Hey," Ana approached Christian and slipped her hand in his as the others made their way to the door.

"Hey," Christian smiled down at her. "Hungry?"

"Starving," Ana said. "Did you get my drink from the wet bar?"

Christian didn't answer for a moment, realizing he forgot to get her water. Ana giggled.

"It's okay, baby. I forgive you."

"Thank you, sweetheart," Christian smiled, kissing her on the forehead before they followed the others inside to get their food.

~/~

Brunch was an enjoyable affair, aided by the fact that Mia's friends decided to leave early for their shopping trip, meaning now it was just the Grey's, Ana, and Ted. Their meal consisted of a delicious assortment of eggs benedict, bacon, sausage, hash browns, fruit salad, and multiple varieties of toast. They all sat down together under the beautiful canopied gazebo beside the pool, and the conversation was lively and spirited - most of it coming from Mia, who was practically fawning over Ted.

"Oh my gosh Ana, he is _so_ cute," Mia grinned, placing a hand over her heart as she watched Ted sitting across from her. "You have to let me take him shopping!"

The others laughed. "Christian warned me you'd want to do that," Ana smirked at Mia, and she grinned guiltily. "Maybe the three of us could plan a shopping trip sometime?"

"Oh my God, yes!" Mia squealed, looking delighted as she clapped her hands. "I know _exactly_ what I want to buy for you guys!"

Carrick suddenly coughed, and he brought his glass of orange juice to his lips, taking a sip. Christian couldn't help but notice his father was being unusually quiet today - he had been very kind and courteous when he spoke to Ana earlier, but for the most part he let the others lead the conversation. Christian wondered if his mind was on that legal case he was working on.

"Ana, I know that you and Christian met when he had been staying in Easton for that construction job, but have you and Ted visited him here in Seattle yet?" Grace asked.

"Yeah, actually, we came here a couple weeks ago to visit," Ana said, looking over at Christian with a smile. "It was lovely - we toured the city a bit, saw the Pike Market district, and went out to eat at the Mile High Club. We had a great time."

"Maybe this weekend, I can finally take you guys out for that boat ride," Christian said with a smile. Ana blushed slightly before smiling at him.

"That sounds wonderful."

Carrick set down his fork before getting to his feet. "I think I'm going to get some more ice from the freezer," he said to the table at large. "Christian, do you mind giving me a hand?"

Christian felt a bit surprised, but got to his feet anyway. "Sure Dad. I'll just be a minute, baby," he said to Ana, who smiled at him.

"Okay."

Christian followed his dad back inside and into the kitchen, where Gretchen was cleaning dirty dishes at the sink. Carrick dismissed her, and she obediently walked out of the kitchen toward the servant's quarters.

"What's up Dad?" Christian asked, knowing his father wanted to talk to him privately. "Did you want to talk about that case you were working on?"

"No," Carrick said, looking a bit awkward as he scratched the back of his head. He turned and walked over to the freezer, where the bags of ice were stored. "It's nothing though - nevermind."

"Come on Dad, what is it?" Christian insisted.

Carrick took a bag of ice out of the freezer before walking over to the counter. "I guess I was just wondering how much time you'd spent in Easton with Ana and Ted, that's all."

Christian continued to frown at his father. "Why?" he asked suspiciously. Why did his dad have to pull him inside away from the others to ask him that?

"I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into," Carrick said reasonably. "When Grace told me you were bringing your new girlfriend over for brunch, I was looking forward to meeting her. But today, when I saw that she… well…"

"That she what?" Christian asked, his anger and indignation growing. "That she has a son? Why should that even matter?"

"I'm just trying to look out for you, Christian," Carrick insisted. "I realize this is a delicate topic, but I am a lawyer, and I've seen countless cases like this before which never end well. Ana's a single working mother, and I'm sure money and resources are tight for her and her son…"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this right now," Christian said, glaring incredulously at his father. "You seriously think Ana is just using me for my money?"

"Of course I'm not saying that, Christian…"

"It sure sounds like you're saying that," Christian snapped. "What the hell makes you think Ana's just a gold digger? Has anything she's said or done today made you think that? Of course, you wouldn't know since you've barely spoken three words to her."

"Christian," Carrick began, but Christian interrupted him:

"You know what? I don't want to hear it," he said. "I fell in love with Ana because she's an amazing and beautiful person, and Ted's been nothing but a wonderful addition to our relationship. And if, for even a second, I thought Ana was only in a relationship with me for my money, I would end it in a heartbeat. But I'm not an idiot, Dad - I am extremely careful about the people I bring into my life. Did you really think I wouldn't be careful, especially after my experience with Elena Lincoln?"

Carrick didn't say anything as he stared at Christian, his expression unreadable. Finally, he lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, Christian," he said calmly. "Forget I said anything."

"Yeah," Christian said aggressively, turning to leave. "For Ana's sake, I'm going to pretend this conversation never happened, but that doesn't mean for a second I'm going to forget what you said."

He walked back out onto the patio and headed toward the others, trying to rein in his temper before Ana could see him looking so pissed.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I'm actually going to be going on vacation with my family for the next few days, so I'm not going to be writing at all during that time. Expect a short delay until the next update.**

 **Thank you all for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!**


	26. Making Amends

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Making Amends**

"Christian, calm down. We can go talk to him…"

"No Ana, we can't. Haven't you been listening?" Christian snapped. "My dad was being completely unreasonable! I don't want to speak to him about this - period."

"What he said was wrong, but that doesn't mean you should shut him out," Ana insisted. "You and I both know that your dad said those things because of his experience as a lawyer. He just doesn't know me very well yet."

"Yeah, and he had his chance to get to know you today, but he chose not to take it in favor of being suspicious of you," Christian grumbled, pacing his bedroom Escala. It was evening now, several hours after they had come back from visiting the Grey's. Ted was safely tucked into bed, and Christian finally had a chance to tell Ana what his father said to him in the kitchen earlier. Ana had suspected something was wrong when she saw the two of them emerge from the kitchen, both looking rather stony-faced, but she didn't say anything then. Now, as Christian explained the conversation to her, it was all making sense.

Christian finally stopped his pacing as he turned to look at Ana, his face distressed. "I feel awful about all this, Ana. I knew you were nervous meeting my family, and I kept telling you not to worry and that they were all going to love you. I hate that my dad had to open his big mouth and accuse you of being a gold digger."

"Christian, please don't worry about it," Ana said sincerely. "Ted and I had a wonderful time with your family today. What your father said to you hasn't ruined the time Ted and I spent with your mother and siblings - in time, I know that he's going to understand how I truly feel about you."

Christian didn't say anything for a moment before walking over and sitting down on the edge of his bed, elbows perched on his knees. "You're taking this much better than I thought you would, Ana. My father doesn't deserve your forgiveness."

"I just know that he's going to see the truth eventually," Ana said, walking over and sitting herself down on Christian's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him. "You and I have nothing but time, don't we?"

Christian smiled lovingly up at her, the tension in his body easing as he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her sweetly on the lips. "Yes we do, Ms. Steele."

"I was wondering if you and I should take your parents out to breakfast tomorrow?" Ana said, resting her forehead against Christian's. "Mia or Elliot can watch Ted for a few hours so it would be just the four of us. We'll have a nice meal and conversation, and maybe try to clear the air of all this nonsense."

Christian didn't say anything for a moment, looking hesitant to agree "Come on," Ana insisted. "Tomorrow will be my and Ted's last day in Seattle - you and I should at least try to talk to him."

Christian finally let out a sigh. "Alright, we'll meet for breakfast tomorrow. But if my dad says anything offensive or mean to you, we're leaving."

"Fair enough," Ana nodded. "And wherever it is we're going, I'm paying."

"You most certainly are not!" Christian exclaimed, and Ana laughed.

"I have to start proving I'm not a gold digger, don't I?" she said, getting up from Christian's lap. "We don't have to go anywhere too expensive. It'll be fine, I promise."

"...Alright," Christian grumbled reluctantly. "You can pay. Incidentally, I reserve the right to insist we all go to McDonald's for breakfast tomorrow."

"Very funny," Ana smirked, leaning down and kissing Christian on the forehead before walking over to the en suite to get ready for bed.

* * *

 **~The next day~**

Thankfully, Grace and Carrick had agreed to breakfast with them on Sunday; Christian had called his mother to ask if they were free, and she said they'd be more than happy to go. Ana idly wondered if Grace knew what her husband had said to Christian yesterday, but didn't want to ask. Mia had also agreed to babysit Ted that morning - Ana had considered asking Elliot to babysit since he and Ted got along so well, but apparently Elliot had had a date last night, meaning he was probably still with the girl this morning. It was fine though, since Ted had actually grown quite fond of Mia and her bubbly, excitable personality.

Ana and Christian now arrived at the restaurant, which was a little place called _Becketts_ \- a sleek and modern-looking breakfast cafe located just outside the Pike Market. It was still relatively empty this morning, so Ana and Christian were able to spot Carrick and Grace sitting at a table together almost right away. Ana took Christian's hand in her own as they both walked over.

"Christian - Ana," Grace smiled, and she and Carrick got to their feet to greet them. "Good morning."

"Good morning Grace," Ana said as Grace greeted her with a hug. Carrick greeted her with a polite kiss on the cheek and a smile. Christian hugged his mother hello, but only greeted his father with a silent handshake.

They all then sat down just as a waitress came by to take their drink orders. They all asked for coffee, and the waitress said she could get a carafe for the table, which they all agreed to. She soon brought out a french press carafe and set it on the table along with two dishes of sugar packets and half-and-half cups.

"Thank you for inviting us out to breakfast this morning, you two," Grace said once the waitress left, and she poured herself a cup of coffee. "This place is lovely - I don't think I've ever been here before."

"It was Ana's idea, but I've conducted a few lunch meetings at this place before," Christian said as he accepted the carafe from Grace and poured a coffee for himself and Ana. "The food here is amazing, especially their sourdough bread."

The four of them continued to make small talk about what they were going to get to eat before the waitress came back to their table. They told her what they wanted, and she wrote down their orders before taking their menus from them and assuring them that their food would be out soon.

"…You're getting lobster eggs benedict? Really?" Christian asked Ana as soon as the waitress left. "Don't you think that's a bit pricey for a breakfast dish?"

"Who cares? I feel like treating myself today," Ana said innocently, smirking right back at him. Christian shook his head.

"What's wrong with Ana's meal?" Grace asked curiously, glancing between the two of them.

"It's nothing. It's just that when I told Christian I wanted to go out for breakfast today, I insisted on paying for everyone," Ana explained. "I may not make as much as Christian, but I know I can afford to take my boyfriend and his parents out for a nice meal. I feel like it's the least I could do to thank you for accepting me and Ted into your home."

Grace and Carrick didn't say anything for a moment, but then Carrick shifted slightly in his seat, looking uncomfortable. Grace gave him a look.

"Carrick…" she said warningly to her husband. She had obviously heard all about what he had said to Christian yesterday.

Carrick cleared his throat. "I suppose this is the elephant in the room…" he said before looking directly at Ana. "Ana, as I'm sure you know, I had a private word with Christian yesterday about you, and I raised concerns that you wanted to be with him only for his money. It was completely out of line, especially since you and your son were right outside and you guys were meeting us for the first time that day. It was wrong of me, and I truly apologize. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's okay, Carrick. I understand you were just being protective of your son," Ana said to him with a kind smile. "If it means anything, though, I promise you that I would never be with Christian - or any guy, for that matter - just for his money. I was raised by my dad Ray, who practically made it his life's goal to ensure I would grow up to be a strong, independent woman who knew how to take care of myself. He and I run a carpentry shop together, and we do well for ourselves - we keep food on the table for us and Ted, at least, and we're proud of where we come from."

Carrick smiled. "That's great, Ana. Your dad sounds like an amazing man."

"He really is," Christian agreed, and Ana smiled at him. "He raised one hell of a daughter."

Grace and Carrick both laughed as Ana blushed. At that moment, however, Grace gazed at something behind Christian's shoulder with a look of surprise on her face. "Is that Elliot?"

The others turned to look, and to their surprise they saw Elliot enter the cafe with a beautiful blonde woman who looked strangely familiar.

"Oh my God. Is that…?" Ana said, her eyes wide.

"Kate Kavanagh," Christian said, his eyebrows raised in shock.

"Who?" Carrick asked, frowning.

"She's a newscaster for Seattle KOMO news," Ana explained. "She interviewed Christian a couple weeks ago about the reconstruction efforts in Easton."

"I didn't realize Elliot was dating her," Christian said, sounding almost amused. A hostess began to lead Elliot and Kate through the restaurant.

"…Oh my God," Kate suddenly noticed Christian and the others sitting about ten yards away, and she stopped in her tracks, grasping Elliot's arm. "Ellie, isn't that your brother?"

Elliot glanced over and immediately froze upon seeing most of his family seeing him in a restaurant with a girl - a girl he had clearly slept with the night before and was taking out to breakfast this morning. Kate seemed unaware of Elliot's embarrassment as she immediately made her way over to Christian and the others.

"Why hello there, stranger," Kate grinned brightly down at Christian. She was wearing a low-cut black tank top with lace trimming, dark blue skinny jeans, and round-toe black pumps. She looked very casual and chic, yet her soft blonde curls and smokey eye makeup made it clear she put a lot of effort into her appearance.

"Good morning Kate - Elliot," Christian greeted the two of them. Elliot look embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Uh… 'morning guys," he said with a half-smirk. "I uh… I didn't realize you were going to be here this morning."

"Yeah, what a weird coincidence," Ana said, trying to bite back a smile. This whole situation was clearly embarrassing for Elliot, but it was also pretty funny for everyone else. Ana and Christian exchanged an amused glance.

"Come on Ellie, let's not be rude," Kate insisted before grabbing a chair from a nearby empty table and sitting down adjacent to Christian. "We can all sit together and chat! Won't that be fun?"

Elliot's eyes widened as the others glanced at each other. "Um… maybe we should get our own table, Kate. I mean, we don't want to bother them."

"And we already ordered our food," Ana pointed out, and the others nodded.

"Well we can just order our food along with yours," Kate insisted before waving her hand at a passing waitress. "Excuse me? I'd like a mimosa and the french crepes with low-fat creme fraiche, please."

"Of course, ma'am. Um…" the waitress looked confused as she glanced between Kate and the others at the table.

"She and I are separate from them," Elliot explained to her, sounding almost resigned as he took a chair from an empty table. "Could I get the Greek skillet please?"

"Of course, sir."

The waitress walked away as Elliot sat at the table directly across from Kate, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else than right here.

"So…" Grace broke the awkward silence, glancing between the two. "How long have you guys been dating?"

"Since last Thursday," Kate said, a sweet, simpery smile directed at Elliot across from her. "Ellie and I initially met in Easton when I interviewed Christian for my news report, but we didn't see or talk to each other again till I ran into him at a bar a few days ago. We've been inseparable ever since."

Elliot glanced down at the table, scratching the back of his head and looking intensely embarrassed. It was obvious to everyone except Kate that Elliot only wanted her to be a casual hook-up, but things had gotten way out of hand. It would have almost been funny if Elliot didn't look so miserable.

"So you're a news reporter?" Carrick asked Kate curiously.

"Yes, I am," Kate smiled brightly. "For KOMO Seattle News. You may have seen my face on a couple billboards around the city."

Kate continued to talk about herself for several minutes afterward, speaking about her career and the work she loved to do; she spoke with clear, trained confidence brought on by years of being a news reporter. The others were all silent as she talked, but they each couldn't help but exchange glances with each other, trying to subtly convey their bewilderment that someone could be so self-centered and obnoxious.

"…You know, I've already said it, but I have to say it again," Kate suddenly smiled at Christian sitting beside her, and she placed a hand over her heart. "What you did for that little town of Easton was truly inspirational."

"It really was," Ana said, smiling at Christian too, and he looked over at her with a genuine smile.

"Oh, did you see my news report too?" Kate asked Ana politely.

"Um… no, I live in Easton," Ana said, frowning slightly at her. "You and I met at the construction site there. Remember?"

Kate looked confused for a second before realization dawned on her face. "Oh, that's right! You were wearing a gray t-shirt. I thought you were one of the construction workers or something."

Ana didn't say anything, though she exchanged a mildly annoyed glance with Christian. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Grace and Carrick do the same thing with each other.

"Wait. So you two…?" Kate gazed between Christian and Ana. "You guys are together?"

"Yes, we are," Christian nodded.

"I had already told you that my brother's girlfriend and her son were visiting for the weekend, Kate," Elliot said, clearly trying to hide his annoyance.

"Oh my God, that was _you_?" Kate stared at Ana, her eyes wide with shock. "And you have a _son_?"

"I do," Ana said simply.

"Holy shit, your body looks _amazing_!" Kate insisted, her eyes roving Ana's features. "Seriously, I would've thought after having a kid, your body would get all bloated and misshapen, but you are seriously hot. How do you do it?"

Ana blinked, clearly shocked by that rude question - fortunately, she was saved from having to answer it by their food arriving. With her lobster eggs benedict in front of her, Ana began digging in, hoping she could avoid talking to Kate. However, the woman in question was relentless:

"You know, I do Pilates," Kate said to Ana, cutting into her crepes before taking a bite. "But I also heard yoga can help women shed those extra pregnancy pounds. Do you do yoga, Ana?"

"No," Ana replied.

"Well then what's your secret?" Kate insisted, and Ana finally let out a sigh.

"Ted's not my biological son," she said simply. "I adopted him after his mother died."

Carrick and Grace looked shocked at this revelation. "Wow, Ana - really?" Carrick asked, gazing at her.

"Oh my God, I _knew_ it," Kate spoke up before Ana could. "I knew a girl's body couldn't look that good after pregnancy. Adoption is definitely the way to go if you want kids, but that's just my opinion."

Everyone at the table was now scowling at Kate, her insensitivity and obliviousness having gone too far. This was clearly a sensitive subject, and she just bulldozed over it with her uninformed opinion. Elliot looked as if he wanted to escape by melting into the floor, but instead he just gazed down at his plate of food and began to eat, determinedly not looking at anyone else. The others ate their food too as Kate continued to blather on, completely oblivious to how annoying she was being, and nobody had the heart to stop her.

After what felt like an age, they had all finally finished their food and the checks came. True to her word, Ana footed the bill for herself, Christian, Carrick and Grace, and Elliot threw a fifty on the table for himself and Kate.

"Kate, I think we should probably head out now," Elliot said, getting to his feet and looking more than ready to get out of this place. "Come on."

"Alright," Kate said brightly as she got to her feet. "It was _so_ nice meeting all of you today! I really hope we get to do it again sometime."

The others mumbled their agreement before waving goodbye to her and Elliot. Ana noticed that none of them had stood up out of politeness when they left.

"Ana, I know I already said this to you, but I think it bears repeating," Carrick said as soon as Kate and Elliot were out of the restaurant. Ana and Christian both looked at him. "I completely take back everything I had said about you yesterday. You're an amazing young woman, and compared to that... thing my other son has decided to associate himself with, you are an absolute angel. Christian, I beg of you - _please_ hold onto this one."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. "I will, Dad," he said, smiling over at Ana, and Ana smiled back.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Christian and Ana continue to navigate their long-distance relationship.**

 **If you liked this chapter, please leave a review :) And make sure you follow me on Facebook - I go by the username Straw Paj**


	27. With and Without You

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: With and Without You**

About twenty minutes later Christian, Ana, Grace and Carrick all made their way out of the restaurant and toward their cars. There were sweet goodbye hugs between them - the interaction between Carrick and Christian in particular was much warmer than earlier, which Ana was happy to see. Grace even gave Ana a gentle squeeze as she hugged her goodbye.

"Darling, I have to say, I think it's wonderful that you adopted that sweet little boy," Grace said quietly so only Ana could hear. "Carrick and I adopted all of our children, and it's been one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences of our lives. If you ever want to talk about it, please don't hesitate to give me a call."

Ana nodded, emotion fill her chest as she smiled back. "Thank you Grace. I definitely will."

Carrick went up to Ana and gave her a hug too. "Thank you for breakfast, Ana. Despite Miss Kavanagh's interference, I did have a good time getting to know you a bit better."

"Me too, Carrick," Ana smiled, hugging him back.

They finally went their separate ways, and Ana and Christian walked over to his SUV. They both got into the car, and once the doors closed behind them, they both looked at each other before letting out a laugh.

"Wow," Ana giggled, leaning her head back on the headrest. "That breakfast was completely insane."

"I know," Christian laughed. "I almost feel bad for Elliot for sleeping with the most obnoxious girl in Seattle and taking her out for breakfast this morning. I never thought they would end up together, but something tells me that that relationship isn't going to last very long."

"Wanna take bets?" Ana asked with a grin, and Christian chuckled. He pulled the car out from the parking lot and began driving toward Escala.

"Despite Kate bogarting the conversation at breakfast, I think meeting with my parents this morning was a great idea," Christian said, glancing over at Ana with a smile. "I'm glad we did this."

"Me too," Ana smiled back. "And I'm sure Mia at least was pretty happy to spend the morning with Ted."

"Oh God, I bet you anything my apartment is covered in children's toys, finger paint, and glitter right now," Christian rolled his eyes. "Why I let them stay at my place for the morning is beyond me."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Ana giggled. "Your place could use a bit of color anyway."

Christian snorted. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes as they drove through the city. Ana gazed out the window as the buildings passed them by, and after a few minutes she glanced back over at Christian, who was gazing out at the road with a pensive frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" Ana asked.

Christian shook his head. "I'm just thinking," he said. "You and Ted have to leave later today, and I'm not sure when I'll get to see you guys again. I have to be in Osaka, Japan on Tuesday for a new shipping yard we acquired, and I'll probably be there for at least a week before heading straight to my New York office for a new building expansion, and then New Jersey right after that for a company acquisition. It might be at least a month before I get to come back here and see you and Ted again."

Ana frowned, feeling her spirits sink at the idea of not seeing Christian for that long. "That sucks, but we can make it work. We'll Skype and call each other, and I can give you some pictures of me and Ted to take along with you. It'll be fine."

Christian smiled, though there was a hint of sadness to it. "Thanks baby. I wish I didn't have to be so far away from you guys though."

"It is what it is," Ana said, reaching over to take Christian's hand in her own, and Christian laced his fingers together with hers.

They finally arrived at Escala, and Christian parked in his usual spot. They then got out of the car and into the elevator, where Christian punched in the code for the penthouse. When they reached the top and the doors slid open, Ted's squealing laughter immediately met their ears.

Ted's toys were scattered across the great room floor, and dirty bowls and utensils littered the counters in the kitchen. Mia was currently chasing Ted around as he wore a red superhero cape and had what appeared to be an upturned bowl on his head. Christian and Ana could only stare at the scene before them in shock.

"Oh, hey guys!" Mia said, stopping when she saw them, and Ted stopped too.

"Mommy! Cwistan!" Ted ran up to them and practically tackled Ana around the waist in a tight hug.

"Hey you two," Ana said, hugging her son as she gazed around the great room. "Wow, um… you guys had some fun this morning, didn't you?"

"We sure did," Mia grinned, and Ted immediately let go of Ana before running back over to Mia, who picked him up in her arms and lifted him up over her head as if he were flying. Ted squealed in delight as he lifted his arms up above his head.

Ana and Christian exchanged looks that were both amused and exasperated. "Um…is Gail around?" Ana asked him, glancing around at the toys strewn all over the floor.

"I think she and Taylor are in their apartment," Christian said "I'll go get her - she can help us clean up this mess."

"Please hurry," Ana said as Mia tossed Ted on the couch and he giggled happily before getting up and started running around the large room once again.

* * *

After they finished cleaning the penthouse and Mia went back home, Christian decided to take Ana and Ted out on his boat for lunch before the two of them had to go back to Easton. It was still a beautiful day out and many boats were sailing around Elliot Bay, and _The Grace_ was easily the biggest and most beautiful catamaran on the water. Christian, Ana, and Ted had a great time that afternoon as they sailed around the bay, having a picnic on the deck while Ted went to the railing and tried to see the fish swimming underneath the surface of the water.

Once their perfect afternoon was done, it was time for Ana and Ted to head back home. Leaving for Easton was difficult, especially since they weren't going to be seeing Christian for at least a month. Hopefully this sort of thing wouldn't become normal over the course of their relationship, but she figured that if she and Ted could handle living in a completely different city, then they could handle him going away on business for a few weeks.

Early Monday morning, Ana woke up to the sound of a Skype call coming in from Christian, who she knew was currently in the air on his way to Japan. Ana was still half-asleep and in her pajamas as she answered the call at her computer, but she smiled brightly as soon as she saw Christian's face on screen.

"Hi baby," Christian smiled, noticing her sleep-tousled expression. "Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"It's fine, I was about to get up anyway. How's your trip going?"

"So far so good. We're hopefully going to land in Japan within the hour, but I wanted to Skype with you right before we did," Christian said. "I was getting a security update from Taylor this morning and I got some interesting news."

"Really?" Ana asked, curious.

"Yeah. Do you remember our old friend, Leila Williams?"

Ana immediately tensed, her half-asleep state gone in the blink of an eye as she frowned at Christian. "What about her?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad," Christian said quickly. "At least not for you and me. Apparently, she got arrested last night."

Ana raised her eyebrows in shock. "Wow, really? For what?"

"Fittingly enough, it was for violating a restraining order," Christian grimaced. "She was apparently stalking and harrassing this married man named Chase Borman whom she had met through work, and it got to the point where he filed a restraining order against her so she would leave him alone. She got upset, so she found out where his wife worked and approached her there to tell her that she was having an affair with her husband."

Ana covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide in horror. "Oh my God, seriously?"

"Yup," Christian nodded. "It was a lie obviously, but apparently it took several days for the police to confirm it, and it practically ended his marriage. Chase is now suing Leila for slander and harassment, and Leila caused a fit in front of the police station to the point where she got arrested and put in jail. Her bail is set at $6,500, but no one's paid it yet."

"Wow," Ana said, bringing her hand away from her mouth and shaking her head. "That girl is certifiably insane. At least it's not just for you though."

"I know," Christian sighed resignedly. "My legal team is going to get in contact with Chase Borman within the next few days to tell him about my restraining order against Leila. It might be able to help his case against her."

"That's a good idea," Ana nodded, but then she frowned. "Wait, how did Taylor know about Leila stalking Chase in the first place?"

"I've been having her followed since she confronted us in Easton," Christian admitted. "Taylor's in charge of the security team, and he stuck a tail on her so we could keep track of her movements. We knew that she had been fixated on this Chase guy for awhile now, but we didn't know it would escalate to this point."

"Well, I'm glad her crazy ass is locked up now," Ana said, grimaced humorlessly. "Honestly, I hadn't really thought much about Leila since she left Easton, but I hope I'll never get to see her again."

"You won't baby. And with any luck, neither will I," Christian smiled at her. "I think we've seen the last of her for the moment."

"So no other crazy exes of yours are going to come after me then?" Ana asked, smirking at him. Christian smiled, though there was an undercurrent of worry in his expression.

"Leila was the only crazy one as far as I know, but I could check up on my other previous subs to make sure none of them know about you or are targeting you at all," Christian said, reaching a hand up and tugging at his hair. "You're gonna make me paranoid about this, baby."

"Why? I was only teasing you," Ana smiled reassuringly at him. "If you want to keep tabs on your old submissives, that's fine, but I know how to take care of myself."

"But still," Christian looked concerned. "I want to make sure both you and Ted are safe, especially since I'm going to be away for a few weeks. Would you object to me sending a member of my security team to Easton just to keep an eye on you for a bit?"

Ana grimaced slightly. "Would you object if I said no?"

Christian didn't answer, though the reserved expression on his face made Ana smirk.

"Then I guess I have no choice, do I?" she said, and Christian smiled in relief.

"Thanks baby."

A sound came from Christian's end, and he looked past the webcam toward someone standing where Ana couldn't see. After a moment, Christian turned back to Ana. "Sorry Ana, it looks like we're about to land. I'll call you in a couple hours?"

"Sure," Ana smiled. "Have a good trip. I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Ana couldn't help but smile to herself as she signed off.

~/~

The following day, Luke Sawyer, a trusted member of Christian's security team, moved into the vacated rental home next door to Ana that Christian had previously occupied. That morning he went over to Ana's house to update her about security, and Ana couldn't help but immediately trust him to protect her and her son.

"Thanks for coming by," Ana smiled politely at him, shaking his hand. "My son is watching TV inside, but this here is my father Ray."

Ray shook Luke's hand too, but he seemed a bit skeptical of how necessary this guy would be to them. As far as he knew, there wasn't any lurking danger around and a security guard simply wasn't needed. "You're telling me Christian's paying this guy to just sit on his ass all day and watch you and Ted?" Ray asked incredulously, pointing at Luke while glancing at Ana. "Forget that. Luke, do you know how to work a table saw?"

Luke looked a little taken aback. "Um, yeah?"

"Then you can help out at the carpentry shop," Ray said firmly. "We're building a new deck chair and table set for a client out in Spokane and we could use the extra hands."

Luke blinked, clearly surprised at Ray's demand, and he glanced over at Ana who was trying to back a laugh. "I, uh… I don't think Mr. Grey authorized me to do anything other than CPO work, sir."

"He hired you to protect Ana, but does she look like she's in any danger?" Ray asked, gesturing to her. "No, she doesn't. So until that time comes, you're going to make yourself useful around here. Got it?"

Luke still looked a bit confused as he glanced back over at Ana, and she shrugged. She wasn't about to argue with her father, and she honestly wouldn't have minded some extra help in the carpentry shop. "Might as well, I guess."

For the rest of the day, Ray and Ana had Luke in their carpentry shop and showed him how to work the table saw and automatic sander. Luke was pretty handy, so he was able to pick up everything pretty easily and even appear to have a good time learning more about carpentry. Ana was glad he wasn't put off by her father basically forcing him to work at their shop, but she agreed that it was probably better than him doing nothing all day.

The next few days were more of the same - Luke helping Ray in the carpentry shop, and Ana parceling her time between helping them and watching over Ted. She also Skyped Christian every chance she could, though it was difficult considering the time difference. They were about 16 hours apart, so a reasonable hour for her could have meant the middle of the night for him, or vice versa. While it was difficult, Ana was grateful for whatever time she got to spend talking to her boyfriend.

These small moments were all she was going to have for a month, after all.

After over a week had passed since Christian left for his trip, Greg Clayton announced another barbecue he was throwing at his house. Ana was grateful for the distraction, and so that evening she, her dad, Ted, and Luke all went over to the Clayton's.

"Taylor did mention a name to me right before I took this job," Luke said to Ana as the four of them stepped out of the truck and walked toward Greg's house. "Paul Clayton?"

Ana grimaced. "Yeah, he's Greg's son. He's had a crush on me for years and I've had to continuously tell him to back off - last time I spoke to him it got pretty heated, so I don't really know what to expect from him tonight."

"I'll keep an eye out," Luke assured her, but just as they walked around the house to the backyard, Ana immediately saw Paul standing and talking to a group of people. He was also holding hands with a petite, dark-haired girl Ana didn't recognize.

 _Well, that's new_.

"Ana - Ray," Greg greeted them jovially, and he walked forward to shake Ray's hand. "Glad you all could make it."

"Glad to be here," Ray smiled.

Paul, noticing who had arrived, approached their group, still holding hands with the petite girl. She had short dark black hair with sweeping side bangs, a blue flannel shirt and skinny jeans. She wasn't unattractive by any means, but there definitely wasn't anything special about her either.

"Hey guys," Paul said, stopping before them. "I'd like you all to meet my girlfriend, June."

Everyone said hi back, and June smiled politely as she shook their hands. When she got to Luke, she blushed scarlet, and her smile went from polite to almost hopeful as she gazed into his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Everyone, this is Luke Sawyer," Ana introduced him. "He's, um… he's been helping us at the carpentry shop."

"Well then, welcome to Easton Luke," Greg smiled, shaking Luke's hand. "I hope you enjoy yourself at my barbecue this evening."

"Thank you sir," Luke smiled back.

"So Ana, where's Christian tonight?" Paul asked as soon as Greg and Ray took Ted and headed over toward the grill.

"He's in Japan at the moment," Ana said, "And tomorrow he's going to be flying out to New York."

"Wow, what does he do?" June asked, interested.

"He's the CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings," Ana explained, a note of pride in her voice. "His company's based in Seattle, but he does work all over the world."

"That's impressive," June said, looking impressed. Paul looked less than pleased as he cleared his throat.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's go get some food," he said, tugging on June's hand, and they walked away without another word.

"Sorry about that," Ana said, turning to Luke and grimacing. "I hope you didn't mind me lying about why you're here."

"It's fine, Ms. Steele," Luke said reassuringly. "I understand. Besides, I actually do help out at your shop, so it's not a complete lie."

Ana laughed. "Very true. I'll be sure to talk to Christian so you get a raise for all the extra work you've been doing on the job."

"Thank you," Luke smiled.

"By the way, do you know when exactly Christian's leaving Japan and heading for New York?"

"Taylor said they'd be leaving around noon tomorrow, which is around six o'clock tonight for us," Luke said, pulling out his phone to check something on it. "They'll be in New York for the next five days, and the morning after the benefactor's gala they'll be heading straight to New Jersey."

"There's a benefactor's gala?" Ana asked curiously.

"Yeah, at the end of the week," Luke nodded. "It's just a fancy dinner and fundraiser event, as far as I know. Mr. Grey is expected to make an appearance since he's a benefactor to a lot of the larger businesses in the city."

"Is it by invitation only?"

"I'm not sure. Why?"

Ana bit her lip - an idea had started to form in her brain, and she was liking it more and more by the second. "Could you maybe find out? I don't know how possible it would be, but I was thinking I could fly out to New York and surprise Christian there at the gala."

Luke gazed at her for a moment before smiling. "You really want to fly out to New York City to surprise him?"

Ana nodded a bit nervously. "Is that crazy?"

"Not at all Ms. Steele, but it will probably take some coordination on my and Taylor's parts," Luke said, pulling out his phone again and texting something on it. "I'll have a word with Taylor about it and let you know."

He stepped away from her as he continued to text on his phone, and Ana watched him, feeling anticipation and delight filling her body at the idea of seeing Christian in only a few short days.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana plans her surprise.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, please review!**


	28. New York

**A/N: Thank you all for your love and support! I hope you enjoy your next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: New York**

 **~Five days later~**

"Okay, I think I'm ready."

Ana currently stood in the center of their living room, her packed luggage at her feet and a black garment bag tucked over her forearm. Luke was going to take her to the small airport just outside Easton, where a plane was waiting to bring her to SeaTac; from there, she was going to take a direct flight to JFK in New York City, where Christian was.

After two long weeks of being apart, she was finally going to see him again tonight. She could hardly wait.

"We're going to miss you darling," Ray smiled sadly at his daughter. He was carrying Ted in his arms, and Ted was resting his head on his grandpa's shoulder, quiet and supine. He knew his mother was going to be away for several days, and he was pretty sad about it - his big green eyes were filled with tears, and Ana couldn't help but feel her heart break slightly knowing that she had to say goodbye to him for the next few days.

"Sweetie, don't be sad," Ana said compassionately, walking forward and rubbing Ted's back. "I'm only going to be gone for two days, okay? You and Grandpa are going to have so much fun together while I'm away."

Ted whimpered incoherently, and he lifted his head off of Ray's shoulder so he could hug his mom one more time. Ana lifted him out of Ray's arms and held him tightly, kissing him over his hair.

"I love you, sweetheart," she whispered, kissing him one more time on the cheek before pulling away and looking into his eyes. "I'll see you when I get back."

"'Kay," Ted mumbled, still looking forlorn. Ana finally set him down on his feet, and he and Ray waved goodbye as Luke helped Ana carry her luggage out the front door and toward the car.

"I think this will be the longest I'll ever be away from Ted," Ana admitted as she helped Luke pack the trunk with her things. She realized a tear or two had slipped down her face as she was saying goodbye, and she quickly wiped them away.

"Would you like to stay? It's not too late to back out," Luke said, looking at her. The trunk was now packed with her luggage, but he didn't close it yet as he waited for her answer.

"No, I still want to go," Ana said firmly, though she glanced back at her house. "It just feels weird to be leaving them, that's all."

Luke smiled at her compassionately. "I know. I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end though."

Ana couldn't help but smile, imagining the look on Christian's face when she was going to surprise him later tonight at the benefactor's dinner. The two of them had called and Skyped and texted each other constantly throughout the week, and it was clear Christian missed her just as much as she missed him. She sincerely hoped this surprise she, Luke, and Taylor were planning would be worth it.

Luke finally closed the trunk, and the two of them climbed into the front seats of the SUV. Luke started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, finally heading off to the airport to start their journey to New York City.

* * *

 **~Christian~**

 **~Later that evening~**

The opulent lobby of the Lexington Hotel had completely transformed into a beautifully decorated ballroom for the benefactors of the Contilla Foundation, a charity aimed and supplying food for children in third world countries. With over fifty million dollars raised from at least sixty different companies, the place was now packed with highbrow business men and women, the men wearing their best Armani suits and the women in their most beautiful gowns. Despite the hundreds of people in the lobby of the hotel, Christian walked through the crowds of people feeling more alone than ever.

Everyone was here with someone - a spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or even a mistress. But who did he have? Taylor had to come for security purposes, and a few of the higher-ups of the New York branch of GEH were here too, but aside from that he had no one.

Ana was back in Easton, and while they had spoken every day he was gone, he hadn't been able to reach her today at all. They usually tried to talk for a bit in the mornings, but Ana hadn't responded to his text today. When he tried to call her later, her phone was off - he was immediately worried something had happened, but Taylor explained to him that he had gotten an update from Luke saying that Ted was sick and Ana was busy taking care of him, which put his worries to rest. He decided he would try calling her once this gala was over to see how she and Ted were both doing.

 _I need a drink_ … Christian walked over to the bar area off to the side of the lobby, where many people were already congregated. Several elegantly-dressed women were seated along the bar, each of them alone and sipping drinks from crystal glasses; their heavily made-up eyes followed Christian as he went up to the bar and ordered a scotch on the rocks.

"Hey," the woman nearest him said. She had dark red hair in waves falling down her right shoulder, and a gown made of emerald green silk. She fingered the rim of her vodka spritzer as she regarded Christian interestedly. "I really hate these things, don't you?"

"I suppose," Christian said as the bartender handed him a crystal glass with Glenlivet scotch on ice. He picked it up and took a sip.

"It's all just so hypocritical, you know?" the woman went on disparagingly, stirring her drink with a straw. "Our company raises money for food in Africa, yet we throw a party where world-class chefs bring us lavish appetizers that costs $1,200 a plate. It's ludicrous."

"Either way, people get to eat," Christian said glibly, and the woman giggled.

"You're funny. I'm Raquelle," she said, smiling at him. "What's your name?"

Christian didn't answer, really not wanting to engage in a conversation with this clearly flirtatious woman. Just as he was about to tell her he had a girlfriend, his cell phone began to ring, and he pulled it out of his pocket to see the caller ID. He smiled - it was Ana.

 _Just in the nick of time._

"'Scuse me," he said before answering the phone. "Hey baby, I missed you today."

He heard Raquelle let out a small huff, but Christian ignored her as he set down his scotch and stepped away from the bar, walking back into the crowd of people.

"Hey," Ana said, and Christian could hear her smile through the phone. "I'm glad we finally connected. How's the benefactor's gala?"

"Boring and pointless," Christian grimaced, glancing at the sea of people around him. "There's supposed to be a dinner later which I'm seriously thinking of skipping so I can go back upstairs and Skype you all night."

Ana, surprisingly, didn't agree to that as he had expected her to. "No!" she said quickly. "No, um don't leave early - you should stay and try to enjoy yourself. I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Well, my being here is just a formality, and I'd really not try to make awkward dinner conversation with people I hardly know. Or sit at the bar and get hit on by desperate women."

"Well, I hope you're not doing that last one," Ana said, a hint of humor in her voice.

"I would never," Christian insisted. "I love you and Ted way too much to betray your trust like that."

"Glad to hear it," Ana giggled, and Christian relaxed.

"Speaking of Ted," he went on. "I heard he got sick and you were taking care of him all day. Is everything alright?"

Ana didn't answer a second. "Yeah, about that…" she said slowly, and Christian frowned. "Ted's actually fine. I kind of asked Taylor and Luke to lie on my behalf about why I couldn't talk to you at all today."

Christian stopped short in the middle of the lobby, ignoring the crowds of people around him. "What?"

She was lying to him? Why would she do that? Christian's mind immediately went to the worst place, and his heart rate spiked as he thought of her having an affair or her leaving him for another man…

"Look at the front door," Ana now said, breaking his train of thought.

Blinking, Christian glanced over toward the front doors to the hotel, and noticed a young woman walking in by herself, her cell phone to her ear. When they locked eyes, she smiled, and Christian could do little else but bring his phone away from his ear in shock.

Ana was actually here. Right here, in New York - in his hotel.

 _Am I dreaming?_

She looked absolutely stunning in a navy blue full-length gown, and her chestnut hair was pulled back in an elegant chignon accented by diamond chandelier earrings. Her dress was beautiful and elegantly demure, with her decolletage covered in sheer blue lace and a boat neckline and three-quarter sleeves.

It was like everyone else in the room ceased to exist, and Christian felt as if he were floating on air as he made his way through the crowd toward her. Ana had put her cell phone back into the black clutch purse she was holding before walking toward him too, the smile on her face breathtakingly beautiful.

 _I can't believe she's here_.

The moment Christian reached her, he couldn't resist - he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers, reveling in the feel of her soft, warm body against his, the scent of her hair and perfume consuming him and making him feel an overwhelming sense of home. Ana kissed him back with equal fervor as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.

Christian's happiness seemed to burgeon the longer he kissed Ana, and without breaking away he lifted her up off her feet and twirled her around, causing her to giggle against him. Christian couldn't help but smile widely, his heart filled with so much love it almost hurt.

"Oh my God, I love you so much," he whispered, finally setting her back on her feet and pecking her all over her face, and Ana giggled again. "I can't believe you're here right now."

"So this was a good surprise then?" Ana asked, beaming up at him with so much love and adoration in her eyes it made Christian's heart soar.

"Baby, this was the best surprise I've ever gotten in my life," he insisted sincerely. "I mean it… I don't think anyone's ever done something like this for me before. This is incredible."

"I couldn't have done it without Taylor and Luke," Ana admitted, her beautiful face flushed pink as she continued to smile up at him. "They helped me get a ticket for this gala and hide the truth from you all week. Luke and I caught a commercial flight out here this morning, and I arrived here a couple hours ago where Taylor met us and got me the keycard to your hotel room. I dropped my things off there and changed into my dress before coming down here."

Christian grinned widely. "So all your luggage is upstairs, is it?" he asked, pulling her closer to him.

"Yes, it is," Ana giggled, leaning forward and pecking him on the lips. "But we can take advantage of that later. Right now, I want to spend a nice evening out with my lovely boyfriend."

"Your wish is my command, my lady."

Christian stepped away from her before holding out his elbow, and Ana hooked her arm through his with a happy smile on her face. Christian still felt like he was walking on air as he led Ana through the crowd of people toward where some of the GEH executives stood talking, eager to introduce her to them as his girlfriend.

For the next hour or so, Christian and Ana mingled with some of the other guests, Christian feeling more open and gregarious than he had ever previously felt at these events. It was clear from the surprised smiles on a lot of other people's faces that this sort of behavior was odd to see from him, but he hardly cared at the moment. He was just so happy his amazing girlfriend had surprised him like this, and he told everyone he spoke to about the incredible thing she did for him.

"Don't let this one slip through your fingers, Grey," Matthew Bordack, the COO of the New York branch of GEH said to Christian with a wink and a smile. "Maybe you should take her along on all of your business trips from now on."

Both Ana and Christian laughed. "Don't tempt me," Christian said, smiling down at Ana, and she giggled.

"Well, Ted would have to come along too," she said reasonably. "It wouldn't be fair for my dad to have to watch him while we're off having fun."

"Very true."

"You have a son Ana?" Matthew asked her interestedly.

"Yes, his name's Ted," Ana said. "He's four."

"No kidding! My grandson Michael just turned four too…"

Ana and Matthew then began an avid conversation about kids and how quickly they grow up, and Christian couldn't help but gaze down at Ana with a smile on his face. He could still hardly believe she was here and had surprised him like this - and she didn't do it because she was suspicious of him or thought he was being unfaithful or anything. She did it because she loved him and missed him, and she wanted to do something fun and spontaneous.

She was, quite simply, too good to be true.

Christian couldn't resist leaning down and pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek, and Ana looked up at him with a smile on her pretty face.

"...Excuse me, everyone?"

A voice over the loudspeaker spoke up, and everyone turned toward a stage at the north side of the room where a middle-aged woman in a deep purple gown stood. "My name is Marcy Langman, Director of Special Projects at the Contilla Foundation, and on behalf of our organization I would like to thank all of you for coming and for donating to our cause. Because of all of you, we truly can make a difference!"

There was a smattering of polite applause, and after a moment she continued. "Dinner is now being served in the west wing. If you would all please make your way to the room on the left-hand side of the lobby…"

The crowd of people turned and began to walk toward a large room with double doors thrown open to reveal dozens of circular tables covered in lavish white tablecloths and flower centerpieces. Christian and Ana didn't move, glancing at each other with similar hesitant expressions on their faces.

"You know, if you two would like to skip this dinner, I'd be happy to make your excuses for you," Matthew said quietly to Christian and Ana, and they looked at him. "It's obvious you two would rather be alone right now."

Ana blushed, clearly embarrassed as she glanced up at Christian again. "I mean… I don't want to be rude…"

"Oh please," Matthew brushed her worries aside. "You're not being rude. The schmoozers and shakers of our industry do these sorts of dinners all the time. No one's going to even notice you're gone."

"Thank you, Matthew," Christian said, taking Ana's hand in his own. "Remind me later to give you a raise," he added in a whisper.

Matthew chuckled. "Will do, Mr. Grey."

Without another word, Christian began to lead Ana in the opposite direction of the crowd - while everyone walked to the left-hand side of the room, Christian and Ana hurried to the right, where the wall of elevators which led up to the hotel rooms on the upper floors were.

An elevator opened for them almost immediately, and it was mercifully empty as they stepped inside. "Thank God," Christian muttered as he punched the button for the tenth floor and the doors slid shut. Without another word, he turned to Ana before pressing her up against the wall and kissing her fiercely.

Ana immediately kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and tangling her fingers in his hair. Christian opened his mouth against hers and their tongues began to intertwine, deepening their kiss and eliciting needy whimpers from Ana, making Christian hard. He felt almost primal in his need for her, and he continued to kiss, lick, and suck at her lips as if he could never get enough of her.

"I love this dress on you, baby," Christian murmured, kissing her along her jaw and up to her earlobe, nipping it with his teeth. His hands ran down her waist toward the satiny material of her skirt near her ass. "Where did you get it?"

"I rented it," Ana said, sighing at the sensations Christian was producing in her body. "I need to return it in relatively good condition, so try not to ruin it."

"Fuck that - I'll buy this dress and ten more just like it once I'm through with you," Christian growled against her skin, gripping her tightly around her waist. Ana could do little more than just moan.

The elevator doors opened to the tenth floor, and without a word Christian scooped Ana up in his arms bridal style and carried her down the hallway toward his hotel room. Ana giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

They got to his door and Christian managed to take out his keycard, unlock the door, and open it without setting her down. The moment he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, though, he placed her down on her feet and they were all over each other again. Christian pushed Ana up against the door as he devoured her mouth, running his hands all over her beautiful body.

"Let me see those pretty little panties, baby," Christian breathed against her lips, grasping the skirt of her dress and inching it upward.

"I'm not wearing any," Ana breathed right back, her hands gripping his biceps tightly.

"Fuck."

It took all of Christian's self-control to not tear her dress right off. With a growl, he hiked her skirt all the way up and brushed his hand up against her wet center. "Jesus, baby."

"Please," Ana moaned, reaching down to undo his pants zipper and belt. She fumbled with it for a few seconds before slightly pushing down his pants and boxer briefs, revealing his huge erection.

"Fuck, hold on baby," Christian hissed as he hiked Ana's leg up so her knee gripped his waist. They both groaned as he sank into her tight wet pussy.

Christian began to rock into her, and after a moment he brought his other hand down to lift up her other leg so he was holding her up completely. Ana moaned as she leaned back, her chandelier earrings swinging as Christian continued to pound into her. Christian felt himself rising quickly - not having sex with this perfect beautiful woman for nearly two whole weeks made him utterly desperate for her, and he could hardly contain himself.

"I'm gonna come," Christian grit out, increasing his thrusts. "Oh fuck... come with me, baby."

" _Ah_!" Ana cried out, throwing her head back even more as her grip on his shoulders tightened into an iron grip. After a moment, her legs around his waist stiffened and her walls fluttered around him, her orgasm ripping through her like a tidal wave. The next moment, Christian's body seized as he came, emptying himself inside of her.

For a minute or so, the two of them were silent as they caught their breath, coming down from their explosive orgasms. Finally, after what felt like an age, Ana leaned down to rest her forehead against Christian's shoulder.

"Wow," she whispered, still panting, and Christian couldn't help but chuckle, pulling back to grin at her.

"Wow indeed," he said. Still holding her up, Christian stepped away from the door with her still in his arms, causing her to squeak in surprise and wrap her arms around his neck. His partly-erect dick was still buried deep inside of her. "This night is only just getting started, baby."

Ana squealed in delight as Christian turned and hurried toward the bed, where he was planning to spend the next few hours worshiping her body the way it deserved.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading! Next chapter, Christian decides to surprise Ana himself.**

 **If you liked this chapter, please review!**


	29. Another Life

**A/N: Thank you all for your love and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Another Life**

Silken sheets slid along Ana's naked skin as she slowly roused awake, seeing the sun shine through the east-facing window of the hotel room. After a moment, she registered a man's arm wrapped around her and holding her tightly to his warm chest, and she couldn't help but smile to herself - memories of last night came back to her in full force, reminded by the delightful ache between her legs. Christian had fucked her hard and fast against the door before taking her to the bed and making sweet, slow, tender love to her all night. She must have only been asleep for only a couple hours since it looked like the sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon.

"…Mm, good morning baby," Christian muttered sleepily from behind her, tightening his arm around her waist. He leaned down and began peppering kisses along her bare shoulder and up her neck.

"'Morning," Ana murmured back, smiling at the sensations he was producing on her skin. She glanced around at the beautiful, opulent hotel room that she didn't get a good look at last night when she and Christian were all over each other. The light, cream-colored walls of the bedroom were accented by dark bookshelves and colorful abstract art hanging on the walls; the silk sheets she and Christian slept under were a dark gray color, and Ana wished she could simply melt into all this luxury.

"You like this, baby?" Christian muttered against the skin of Ana's shoulder, and she hummed.

"We should really get up," she said reluctantly, though she leaned into Christian's embrace as she spoke. He chuckled against her.

"Baby, we can stay in bed for as long as we want to," he said, skimming his hand along her naked waist. "Considering you surprised me by coming to the gala last night, there really isn't anything else I'd rather do today than get lost in your amazing, beautiful body."

"But don't you have to go down to New Jersey today?"

Christian didn't say anything for a moment or two. "Hold on a minute," he said before hopping out of bed and grabbing his phone. He quickly slipped on his boxers before making his way into the other room, typing something on his phone.

Ana, yawning widely, sat up in bed and looked around for her bra and panties, which somehow got tossed across the room in her and Christian's haste to get into bed last night. She got out of bed and slipped them on before picking up Christian's discarded shirt from last night and slipping it on, buttoning it up so it just barely covered her cleavage.

"…Alright," Christian reentered the bedroom, still texting something on his phone. "My trip to New Jersey has been cancelled and I have the whole day free now."

"What?" Ana's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Christian. "Are you serious? Why would you cancel your trip to New Jersey?"

"Because I want to be here with you," Christian said, tossing his phone onto the bed before walking over and wrapping his arms around Ana's waist, smiling at her. "The New Jersey trip wasn't a necessity - I was just going to visit them at their new offices since I was already on the East Coast. I can teleconference in once I get back to Seattle, but I want to spend today with my amazing, beautiful girlfriend right here in the city of New York."

"Christian, I never want to get in the way of you doing your job," Ana said, grimacing worriedly as she placed her hands on his biceps. "If you need to go to New Jersey, I'd completely understand…"

"Don't worry about it," Christian said gently, leaning down and pecking her on the lips. "I'm the boss of my own company, and if I decide to cancel a trip so I can spend time with someone I love, I can. Would you rather I leave you here all by yourself?"

Ana couldn't help but smile lovingly up at him. "No, but I was prepared to take a plane ride with Luke back home later today once you left for New Jersey."

"How about this - you and I spend the day sightseeing around New York today, and then later this afternoon we'll take the GEH private jet back to Seattle. We'll then spend the night in the city before heading back to Easton."

"Really?" Ana asked, her eyes lighting up. She honestly really liked that idea. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"Mind? Baby, I'd rather be doing this a thousand times more than I would having to go to work," Christian grinned, and Ana couldn't help but giggle. "We're going to have a great time today. First things first though, we should go eat some breakfast."

"Good idea. I'm starving," Ana said, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

Christian smiled. "Would you prefer to order room service or go out somewhere?"

"Go out somewhere, I think. I want to start exploring the city - is there anywhere you'd recommend?"

"There are a few places I frequent whenever I stay here," Christian smiled. "Come on, let's go get dressed and I'll take you to one."

Ana smiled before leaning up and pecking him on the lips, and Christian grinned before slapping her on her bare ass. She squeaked, jumping away from him.

"Why don't you get that sexy butt into the shower right now?" he growled, reaching for her waist and kissing her one more time.

"Only if you join me," Ana giggled. The next moment, Christian was chasing her into the bathroom, both of them laughing as they went.

* * *

After they showered and changed, Christian ended up taking Ana to Tom's Restaurant on the corner of 112th and Broadway, a cute coffee shop and diner that Ana recognized from the show Seinfeld. They both ordered a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, and coffee - Christian teased Ana the whole meal for not ordering lobster eggs benedict again, and Ana couldn't help but laugh at herself for ordering such a ridiculously pricey meal.

Once they finished breakfast, Ana and Christian stepped outside onto the sidewalk when Ana suddenly got a Facetime call from her dad. She was excited to hear from him and Ted after a long day of not talking to them, and she and Christian both stood together and waved at a grinning Ted through the phone once she answered.

"Hi Mommy! Hi Cwistan!" Ted said happily through the phone screen, waving.

"Hi sweetheart!" Ana said, smiling brightly at her son. "Mommy misses you _so_ much!"

"We miss you too, darling," Ray appeared on the screen next to Ted, grinning. "Hi Christian."

"Hi Ray," Christian grinned. "Good to see you two."

"Annie's surprise to visit you was a success I take it?"

Ana and Christian both laughed, glancing at each other with loving smiles. "It definitely was," Christian agreed.

Ana and Ray spoke with each other for a few minutes, with several interjections from Ted along the way, and after Ana reassured Ray she would be back in Easton by tomorrow did they finally hang up. Christian couldn't help but notice the small tremor in Ana's voice as she said goodbye.

"You okay, baby?" Christian asked as Ana tucked her phone back into her jeans pocket. He placed a comforting hand on the small of her back.

"Yeah, I'm fine - I just miss Ted, that's all," Ana shrugged dismissively. Christian said nothing as he pulled Ana closer to his side, and they began to walk together down Broadway toward the riverside.

"If you want to head back early, I completely understand," Christian said, and Ana looked up at him with a reassuring smile.

"No, it's fine. I just want to enjoy my day here in the city with you. It's not everyday a girl gets to go walking around New York with a gorgeous man on her arm."

"Oh, so I'm just arm candy, am I?" Christian asked teasingly.

"Yes. I'm glad we established that at this point in our relationship," Ana grinned, hooking her arm through his, and Christian chuckled.

"If you say so, Ms. Steele."

~/~

Since they only had a few hours to spend together before they had to head back, Christian and Ana decided to just walk around the city for a bit, taking pictures of the beautiful buildings around them and taking selfies while smiling at the camera with their arms around each other. They walked along the Hudson River toward the Upper West Side, past Hell's Kitchen before making it all the way to the Empire State Building at around noon. It was there when Christian finally called up Taylor to come pick them up with their luggage and take them to JFK since the GEH jet was going to be leaving around one o'clock.

Ana had never been on Christian's private jet before, and she couldn't help but gape in shock and awe as she gazed around at the plane's interior.

"Christian, your plane is amazing," she said, staring at the soft, cream-colored walls, dark wooden accents, and high-end leather furniture. "I almost wish I didn't have to fly commercial."

"With me, baby, you'll never have to fly commercial again," Christian grinned, as she giggled as they took their seats in the tan leather armchairs near the front of the plane. "There's actually a bedroom in the back for longer international flights… but it doesn't necessarily have to be used for sleeping."

"Good, because I'm not tired," Ana grinned, reaching over to skim her hand along his arm. Christian growled before leaning over and kissing her, nipping her lower lip.

Natalia, the flight attendant, now approached them and Christian and Ana pulled away from each other. She asked if there was anything she could get them to drink before they took off, and Christian asked for two glasses of sparkling water. She walked away, and Ana couldn't help but notice the flat, hard expression on her face as she spoke to Ana in particular; Ana made sure to take Christian's hand in her own and lace her fingers with his so Natalia saw.

Once they had their drinks and their seatbelts were on, the plane finally took off. Ana gazed out the window at the world shrinking beneath them, feeling the knot in her stomach lessen the higher up they went.

"Everything alright baby?" Christian asked, squeezing her hand. Ana grimaced at him.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit of a nervous flyer, that's all - I don't know how you do it all the time."

"It gets easier," Christian assured her. "I used to fly about once a week for work, but I've tried to cut down my travel time since I met you and Ted. This weeks-long trip I took was kind of a result of me putting it off for so long."

"Aww, how sweet of you," Ana smirked at him, and Christian chuckled. "But I didn't realize you were putting off so much work just to be with me and Ted. I never want us to get in the way of your job, Christian."

"Please don't worry about it," Christian said earnestly, squeezing her hand gently. "I used to work my ass off because I had no reason not to. And now that I met you and Ted, I have two wonderful reasons to give myself a break once in awhile."

Ana gazed into Christian's eyes for a moment before leaning over and kissing him on the lips. Christian brought his hand up to cup her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek as he kissed her back.

"I am so glad you came to New York, Ana," Christian whispered after a moment, pulling back slightly so he could look at her. Ana could see the love and devotion in his eyes. "You are the best girlfriend a guy could ever ask for, and I am so lucky to have you."

Ana didn't get a chance to say anything before Christian was kissing her again, his passion and love for her evident, and Ana could do little more than kiss him back with equal fervor.

A ding filled the cabin, and the seatbelt light blinked off, indicating it was safe to stand up. Pulling away from each other, Christian and Ana quickly undid their seatbelts before getting to their feet. In one swift motion, Christian had scooped Ana up in his arms bridal style before walking toward the back into the bedroom, Ana giggling as they went.

* * *

About four hours later, the GEH jet landed at SeaTac airport. Ana had never traveled this far across time zones before, so the fact that it was still early midday here in Seattle was a bit disorienting. It was about two o'clock now, and Ana already felt hungry for dinner. So she and Christian, once they had loaded all their things off the plane and into the car, decided to head out to the Mile High Club for an early meal before they went back to Escala.

"Hey baby, I was hoping after dinner you and I could stop somewhere before going back to Escala," Christian said as he navigated the streets of Seattle. Taylor was initially going to drive them, but Christian decided to give him the rest of the day off to spend with Gail, whom he hadn't seen in awhile.

"Sure, no problem," Ana said while gazing out the window at all the familiar buildings. "If you need to stop by GEH, I understand."

"It's not work-related," Christian said as he pulled into the parking lot of the Mile High Club. "I want to show you something - it's a surprise."

"Then let's go right now," Ana insisted with a grin. "Dinner can wait - I want to see the surprise."

"Not a chance, Ms. Steele. You said you were hungry, and I intend to feed you," Christian smiled at her, parking the car in one of the reserved parking spaces. "Come on - dinner first, then I'll take you to the surprise."

Dinner at the Mile High ended up being very enjoyable since it was so early in the day and hardly anyone was there, meaning Christian and Ana got to eat in relative privacy. Christian had gone and ordered their dinner ahead of time - baked cod with lemon and rosemary on a bed of brown rice and fried asparagus. The chef came out and personally gave them their food, and it tasted delicious; Ana couldn't help but notice that Christian, while engaging throughout their meal, also seemed a bit nervous. It made her wonder what he wanted to show her after their dinner was over.

Finally, their dinner and dessert was finished, they got back into the car and began driving toward their destination. "Are you finally going to tell me where we're going?" Ana asked, gazing out the window in avid interest.

Christian didn't say anything for a moment or two, and Ana saw him running his hands nervously along the steering wheel as he drove. "Well… to be honest, I'd been thinking a lot about our conversation when you and Ted visited me here in Seattle."

"You mean when we had a fight?" Ana asked, feeling a bit worried as to where this was going.

"Sort of," Christian said, glancing over at her. "I understand where you were coming from when you said you didn't want me making decisions for you and Ted, but I also hope that you would still consider the idea of you and Ted moving here to Seattle someday."

"Of course, Christian," Ana said reassuringly. "I do appreciate you giving me time to think about this. However, I feel like we're at a point in our relationship now where we can talk about the possibility of me and Ted coming to live with you here in the city soon."

"Really?" Christian asked, looking surprised as he glanced at Ana again.

"Yes really," Ana smiled, reaching over to take Christian's hand in her own. "I love you Christian, and if these past few weeks have taught me anything, it's that I hate it when you're away from me. I want to be the one that you come home to after work and after business trips… Easton may have always been my and Ted's home, but now I'm starting to feel like our home is wherever you are."

"Baby," Christian said, sounding touched. He brought Ana's hand up and kissed her knuckles sweetly. "I feel exactly the same way. I don't ever want to be far away from you and Ted again - even if I were away on a business trip, I would sleep so much easier knowing that you two would be home when I got back."

"So is this what my surprise is about?"

Christian hesitated as he pulled the car into a side street that looked a bit more residential. "Well... yeah, basically. I remembered that you felt uncomfortable with the idea of you and Ted staying in Escala, so I've been exploring some other options…"

Ana could only stare in shock as Christian pulled into a long, winding driveway leading up to a magnificent Victorian-style home with a realtor sign at the front of the lawn. The house had beautiful dark blue paneling and brown stone walls that made it look both rustic and beautiful.

"You bought a house?" Ana asked in disbelief.

"Not yet," Christian said as he parked the car. "I would never buy something so big without consulting you first - I've just been talking to a realtor and exploring some options of what you, Ted, and I can do for living arrangements someday in the near future. When I found out this house was on the market, I just knew that this could be the one for us. I wanted to show it to you before we made a final decision together."

Ana didn't say anything as she simply gazed at the house. So many emotions were running through her body, and her mind seemed to be in a million places at once. "Christian, I… I can't believe it," she said after a moment, flabbergasted. "You really found us a house?"

"We'll look into buying it only if you want to," Christian said reassuringly. "This is in a really great neighborhood, and there's a school and playground nearby for Ted. If you're still on the fence on whether or not you want to move to Seattle, then we don't have to look at it, but I hope you'll at least give it a chance."

"Christian, this is amazing!" Ana said, turning to smile at him. "I love it! Can we take a look inside?"

"Yeah, of course," Christian said, looking surprised and pleased by her approval. "There's no open house, but I have a spare key from the realtor."

They both exited the car and made their way to the front door, and Christian unlocked it. They both walked inside into an empty house devoid of furniture - but even without furniture, it was a beautiful, open-concept living room dominated by a grand sweeping staircase leading up to a gorgeous second-floor balcony. The floors were a dark hardwood, and the walls a gorgeous forest-green color with cream paneling. The kitchen to their right matched in austerity with stone tiles, real granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances.

"Christian, it's…" Ana shook her head, gazing around the area in awe. "It's absolutely perfect. I love it."

"Really?" Christian smiled. "I loved it too the moment I first stepped inside."

"It's incredible. How much is all of this going to cost?" Ana asked, walking forward as she continued to gaze at her surroundings.

"Don't worry about the mortgage. I can pay for it," Christian said dismissively, but Ana shot him a look.

"If we're going to do this together, Christian, then I want to contribute," she said firmly. "I may not make as much as you, but I do have my own savings, you know."

"Alright, fine," Christian couldn't help but smile. "We'll figure something out. Maybe a joint bank account?"

"Now there's an idea," Ana grinned, and Christian chuckled as he took Ana's hand in his own.

"C'mere - let me show you the backyard," he said before pulling her toward the patio door which led out to a raised deck overlooking a meadow. Beautiful lush grass and trees led out to the shore of Lake Washington in the distance, about half a mile away. It was pristine.

"Wow Christian," Ana sighed, gazing around at the natural beauty around them. "This is spectacular. And look -" she pointed in the distance, where mountains were visible along the horizon. "The Cascade Mountains. I feel at home already."

"I'm at home wherever you are, baby," Christian said, squeezing her hand gently. Ana looked at him with a loving smile on her face. "And with Ted, of course."

"Of course," Ana giggled, turning to gaze around the meadow again. "I think he's really going to like it here."

"So is that a yes?" Christian asked, sounding hopeful. "You think we should make an offer on this place?"

"Yes," Ana grinned widely at him. "Christian, this place is amazing, and I completely trust you when you say this was the best place you found for us. I'm ready for the three of us to make the commitment of living together here in Seattle. I know that it took me some time to get to this place, but I love you with all my heart and I am ready for Ted and I to move on to this next chapter in our lives."

Christian didn't say a word as he took Ana's face in his hands and kissed her fiercely on the lips. Ana grasped his lapels as she kissed him back, feeling all the love and happiness he was conveying with his lips. Her heart pounded loudly with love and excitement for what was to come.

Christian finally pulled away, still holding Ana's face in his hands as he gazed into her eyes, a powerful emotion filling his expression. "I want to marry you, Ana."

Ana didn't say anything for a moment, staring at him as if unsure of what he had just said. "What?"

"I said that I want to marry you," he said again, taking his hands away from her face and grasping her hands in his own, gazing earnestly into her eyes. "I want you to become my wife, and I want us and Ted to truly become a family. I understand that you and I have barely started this whole process of moving to Seattle to live together, but I don't care - never in my life have I been more sure of something than I am of you becoming my wife. I want to marry you, Anastasia Steele."

Ana felt her eyes fill with tears as emotion and love filled her heart. "Are you serious?"

Christian smiled before letting go of her hand and getting down on one knee before her, causing her to gasp. "I'm sorry, I originally had something more romantic planned," he said with an apologetic smile. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a velvet ring box before opening it, and Ana covered her mouth with her hand. "Ana Steele, will you marry me?"

It wasn't even a question in her mind. "Yes," she said, an emotional sob escaping her lips. This whole thing felt like an amazing dream - she couldn't believe this was all happening. Christian had actually just proposed to her!

Christian's eyes were glassy with emotion as he got back to his feet, grinning widely as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Ana's finger - a perfect fit.

"I love you so much," Ana cried before wrapping her arms around Christian's neck and kissing him fiercely. He immediately kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up so her feet were off the ground.

A trip to New York, a new house, and now a brand new fiance… Ana couldn't imagine her life getting any better than this.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did please review :)**

 **I'm going to be wrapping up this story soon, in case you couldn't tell already. I'll likely write one more chapter before finishing up with an epilogue. Thank you all for sticking with this story till the very end! :)**


	30. Coming Home

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Coming Home**

Ana could hardly believe that she and Christian were engaged, and they were really going to move in together with Ted in a beautiful new house in Seattle. The three of them were going to be a real family, and Ana doubted she had ever been more excited to pursue something in her entire life. So much still needed to be done, but Ana felt completely and totally ready for it with Christian by her side.

After Ana accepted his proposal at the new house, the two of them went back to Escala where Christian took her to his bedroom and made sweet, slow love to her all night long. The feelings he produced in her body were unlike anything she had ever experienced with him before, and the satisfaction she felt afterward seemed to permeate throughout her soul, making her feel more whole and complete than she had ever felt in her life.

Christian was her soulmate, and she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. She could hardly wait.

Hours later, as Christian lay sleeping in the bed beside her, Ana lay awake thinking about everything that had happened. She could hardly believe that this was her life now - she lifted her hand and examined the diamond ring on her finger glinting in the moonlight with a smile on her face. Her ring was absolutely perfect, and she was unbelievably proud to be the one wearing it.

She had an amazing fiance who loved her just as much as she loved him, and she was so incredibly excited to start this new chapter of her life with him.

Ana eventually fell asleep, her soon-to-be husband sleeping soundly beside her.

~/~

The following morning, Christian and Ana drove the 3-hour trip down to Easton together to share the good news with Ray and Ted. Both of them were absolutely delighted to hear the news.

"Wow guys, this is fantastic!" Ray smiled widely, hugging his daughter tightly before moving over to hug Christian. "I wasn't expecting a marriage proposal to happen this soon… Christian, you never asked me for my blessing."

"Dad," Ana chastised her father, bending down to pick up Ted in her arms. Ray and Christian both chuckled.

"Believe me, I was planning to ask you Ray, but I just couldn't wait anymore," Christian smiled, reaching over to wrap his arm around Ana's waist; she smiled up at him. "Ana and I were checking out a new house I'd been thinking of buying for us, and it just kind of slipped out."

Ray looked surprised as he glanced between him and Ana. "Wow… you two were thinking of moving already?"

"Um…" Ana hesitated, biting her lip as she glanced up at Christian. "Yeah, we kind of were. I was going to talk to you about it, but everything happened pretty quickly."

"You can say that again," Ray chuckled. "Well, I guess I did know this day was coming eventually, but I suppose a part of me didn't want to believe it was coming so soon. I'm going to miss having you and Ted here with me, sweetheart."

"Oh Dad," Ana set down Ted before walking forward and wrapping her arms around Ray's neck, hugging him. "We're going to miss you too, but Christian and I likely won't move there for another month or two. And Seattle is only a short drive away from here, so we can visit each other all the time…"

"I know darling," Ray smiled, hugging his daughter back. "All I care about is that you and Ted are happy, and it's clear that Christian will make you guys incredibly happy. For that alone, I am in favor of you guys moving to Seattle; however, I know I'm going to have to find a replacement at the carpentry shop."

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that," Ana frowned worriedly, stepping away from her dad and glancing over at Christian.

"Well, Luke has been helping you out a lot there, hasn't he?" Christian asked. "He could fill in for Ana until you find a more permanent replacement."

"Are you sure?" Ray asked, though he looked pleased at the prospect of keeping Luke on. "Luke's a great worker, but it could be awhile before I'm able to find a permanent replacement. Easton's not exactly a hub for job opportunities."

"It won't be a problem," Christian said reassuringly. "We can talk to him about it, but I can keep him on my payroll for however long you need. I'll cover things like rent and utilities while he's staying at the next door rental, and you can pay him whatever salary you see fit."

"Well, okay then," Ray smiled at Christian. "Thank you, Christian - I really appreciate your help with this."

"Family's gotta look out for each other," Christian smiled back, glancing over at Ana. She smiled widely back.

"I guess I'm lucky to get to call you family, then," Ray chuckled. "We should go out and celebrate this new development in your relationship. Maybe we can gather some of the people in town and have a little barbecue in the backyard?"

"We don't have to go through all that trouble of inviting a bunch of people over," Ana said. "Why don't the four of us just go out to eat? Jay's Diner has a pretty great lunch menu."

"I want Jay's!" Ted said excitedly, bouncing on his little feet. The adults all laughed.

"I guess that settles it," Christian grinned at Ana, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. "We'll go out to Jay's Diner - my treat."

"Nonsense. I'm paying," Ray insisted. "It'll be my way of congratulating the new happy couple."

"If you insist," Ana said with a smile. Ray and Christian both laughed. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're very welcome, sweetheart."

* * *

Christian stayed in Easton with the Steele's for the rest of the day - they had a great lunch at Jay's Diner while chatting with each other and goofing around with Ted. That evening, however, Christian had to drive back to Seattle where he had work to do; he was also going to get started on the process of buying the house near Lake Washington. Ana was so excited to move there she almost wished she could go with him, but she knew she should stay home with Ted whom she hadn't seen all weekend. They all then said their goodbyes, and Christian headed back to Seattle alone.

A couple days later, Ana got the news that Christian's offer on the house was accepted, meaning he, Ana, and Ted could move in within the next month or two, depending on when they could finish up the final inspections and paperwork. Until then, though, Ana had to figure out a way to explain to Ted that they were going to be moving to a brand new house in a whole new city that wasn't Easton.

"You and me are going to be leaving this house soon, Teddy," Ana sat down and explained to him one evening. "That means we're going to pack up all our things and drive all the way to Seattle again, but this time we're going to stay there in a house with Christian."

"I gonna live with Cwistan?" Ted asked curiously.

"Yes sweetheart. You and I are going to live with him," Ana nodded, smiling.

"And Gwampa too?" Ted pointed over at Ray, who was standing off to the side and listening.

"Um…" Ana glanced up at Ray with uncertainty.

"Sorry buddy, but no. I'm not going to be living with you guys," Ray said to his grandson gently. "I'm going to be staying here in this house while you're living with Mommy and Christian."

"No!" Ted stomped his foot immediately, running over to hug his grandpa tightly around the legs. Ray chuckled, and Ana let out an exasperated laugh.

"Come on, buddy. It won't be so bad," Ray said reasonably, kneeling down so he could hug Ted properly. Ted held him tightly around the neck. "You'll get to be with Christian, and I'll come and visit you whenever you want."

"Ev-wy day!" Ted demanded. "You come ev-wy day!"

"I'll try, champ," Ray said sadly, glancing up at Ana and exchanging a small smile with her.

Ana felt a bit heartbroken that Ted was so upset to be saying goodbye to Ray, but she knew it was for the best. Her dad had always played a huge role in Ted's life, and now it was going to be an adjustment living away from him. However, Ana knew that Ted adored Christian, and since he and Ana were now going to get married, Christian was going to be Ted's new father figure. Of course, Ray would still play an important role in his life, but now the main man in Ted's life was going to be Christian.

It would be a big change, and hopefully for the better.

For the rest of the week, Ana and Christian communicated over the phone or via Skype about the new house and what still needed to be done prior to their move. Ana drove up to Seattle one weekend to sign some deed papers with Christian, and they began to figure out how to coordinate her and Ted moving from Easton to Seattle as easily and efficiently as possible. Christian insisted on hiring a whole fleet of trucks to take her and Ted's things to Seattle for them, but only one or two U-Hauls were needed since they didn't have a lot of things. Christian planned on driving down himself the weekend they were going to move so he could help, and Ana was happy with that.

There was also the matter of their wedding. Christian was all for getting married right away, perhaps heading out to Las Vegas within the next week or so to elope. However, Ana wanted her and Ted to be moved in to their new house first, also both of their families wanted to be there for the ceremony. Christian and Ana went to the Grey Estate together and told the news to Christian's family that they were engaged, and their excitement and joy was practically overwhelming. Grace had tears in her eyes as she and Carrick hugged them both, and Mia exclaimed excitedly that she was going to help them plan every last detail of the wedding.

"Can I be in the wedding party?" she asked Ana excitedly, clasping her hands in front of her in supplication.

"Well, I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to be my maid of honor…" Ana began, but was cut off as Mia practically knocked her back in a huge bear hug.

" _Oh my God! YES!_ " she shrieked, squeezing Ana tightly around the shoulders while bouncing up and down. "Yes, I would _love_ to! Oh my God, I'm so excited!"

"She sounds more excited to be maid of honor than the fact that you guys are engaged," Elliot said amusedly, glancing over at Christian. He held out his hand. "Congrats bro."

"Thanks Elliot," Christian smiled, reaching out to shake his hand. "Since Ana just asked Mia, I was wondering if you would like to be my best man?"

"Yeah, of course," Elliot grinned widely, clearly happy his brother asked him. "Thanks man. I promise I'll write the most killer best man's speech in the history of ever."

"I look forward to it," Christian said, though his voice sounded highly skeptical. Ana giggled.

"Oh, but we have to celebrate!" Grace exclaimed, quickly trying to compose herself as she wiped her eyes. "Do you think we could throw an engagement party here?"

"Let's do it," Carrick agreed with his wife, smiling.

"Actually, Ana's dad is planning to hold a party for us on his property in Easton," Christian said, glancing at Ana, who nodded. "It's going to be two weeks from today, around the same time we're going to finish up packing Ana and Ted's things for the move, and you're all invited. This'll give you guys a chance to meet Ana's dad for the first time, and you can see the beautiful little town that Ana grew up in."

"Isn't Easton, like, in the middle of nowhere?" Mia asked, but quickly brought her hand to her mouth in embarrassment. "Oops."

Ana giggled. "Yeah Mia, we're kind of a small town in the middle of the mountains, but the people there are practically my family. I've known them my whole life, and I want to be able to say goodbye to them before Ted and I move to Seattle once and for all."

"Well, I think a party in Easton is a wonderful idea," Grace smiled, glancing over at Christian. "We'll be there, we promise."

"Thanks Mom," Christian smiled at his mother. "Hopefully, Ana's dad will be able to get the party all planned out while she and Ted are in the middle of moving out all their things."

"I could stop by Easton earlier in the day to help him out," Elliot offered, and his face suddenly lit up. "Hey, and I can check up on LCH while I'm there too. It would be perfect!"

"You're going to go to a party early just so you can work?" Mia asked her brother, scrunching her nose. "That sounds so lame."

"Yeah bro, you gotta learn how to relax sometimes," Christian said to Elliot in a passable impersonation of him.

Everyone burst out laughing at Christian's joke, and Elliot merely grinned, amused that his own workaholic brother could tease him in such a manner.

* * *

 **~Two weeks later~**

Ray Steele's going-away party was in full swing. His property near the lake was filled with friends and neighbors as well as Christian's family members, mingling with one another as they ate the delicious barbecue food provided by the townspeople. Dozens of picnic tables and string lights hung on poles filled the entire yard, and little children ran around chasing each other as their parents watched. Everybody was talking and laughing and having a great time.

Carrick and Grace in particular were quite taken with Ray and with his beautiful home. Carrick in particular was very interested to learn more about the work Ray did in his carpentry shop, and the two men got into a deep conversation about wood carving and cutting tools.

"You know, one of my partners at the law firm has a brother who's a carpenter, and she said he got laid off a few months ago," Carrick said to Ray. "He's apparently been working at a Home Depot ever since… maybe I could mention Steele Woodworking to her as a potential job opportunity for him?"

"That would be great, actually," Ray said gratefully. "Christian's had his guy Luke helping out at the shop with me, and he does a great job, but I'm going to need a lot more help in the coming months. Elliot's company is going to be constructing their first vacation house up in the mountains this year, and they've contracted me to build some of the furniture and shelving for it."

"Ray makes some amazing stuff guys," Elliot now approached them, grinning widely at Ray. "The owner of the new house is really going to love what you build for them."

"It depends if I can get all the pieces done on time, son," Ray said with amusement, and the others chuckled.

"You know, Elliot, considering this was Christian and Ana's engagement party, I think you should have brought someone with you tonight too," Carrick said, smiling at his son in a teasing manner. "What's Kate up to these days?"

Elliot groaned as the others laughed. "Ugh, why do you have to bring her up? I told you guys I ended things with her weeks ago."

"We're sorry darling. We're teasing you because we know it bothers you," Grace chuckled. "But seriously - what were you thinking going out with her?"

"I don't know," Elliot shrugged, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Can we please stop talking about how embarrassing that breakfast was for me?"

"Maybe," Carrick smirked, and the others chuckled.

At that moment, Christian and Ana approached the group, holding hands. "Hey guys - how's it going?" Christian asked.

"Great," Ray said. "Where's Ted?"

"Mia's playing with him and a few of the other kids over there," Christian said, gesturing to where all the children were gathered playing tag. "You know, I feel like she'd be our go-to babysitter if we ever needed someone to look after Ted."

"She definitely wouldn't mind that," Ana giggled before turning to the others. "Would anyone like some more food or drinks? We have a lot of leftovers and soda inside…"

Everyone shook their heads. "I think we're good," Carrick said before smiling over at Ray. "Thank you again for this amazing party, Ray. Your home is lovely."

"Thank you, Carrick. I was happy to do it," Ray smiled at him. "I have to say, Christian here is a fine man, and I'm very happy he and my daughter found each other. It'll be hard without her and Ted here anymore, but I know that they'll be safe and happy with Christian."

"Of course they will, Ray," Grace smiled over at her son and future daughter-in-law. "We are so proud of everything our son has become, and we can't wait for when he and Ana finally get married."

Christian and Ana both smiled at Grace before looking at each other, seeming to communicate something silently between them. "You want to?" Ana asked after a moment.

"Yeah, I think so," Christian said before turning to the others. "I was thinking I would say a few words to everyone here and thank them all for coming. Is now a good time?"

"As good a time as any," Ray said. "Have at it, son."

Christian made his way to the front of the yard near the lake, where there were fewer people and the land sloped upward slightly so he could be seen. The crowd was still pretty noisy, so Ana, Elliot, and Ray all grabbed some nearby glasses and silverware before clinking their glasses for everyone to settle down to listen.

"Excuse me, everyone?" Christian spoke loudly, and the crowd all turned to look at him. "I'd like your attention for just a few minutes, and then you can go back to the party. I just wanted to thank you all for coming today, and a very special thank you to everyone who provided the food and drink. And of course to my future father-in-law Ray for organizing this whole event… Ana, Ted, and I couldn't be happier." Christian smiled, and the crowd of people applauded before he went on:

"I know it seems odd to think about, but less than a year ago, Ana and I were just two strangers living in completely different worlds. She and her father ran a small carpentry shop here in Easton, and I ran my company out in Seattle - there really was no chance at all that either of us would ever cross paths. It was by sheer luck and coincidence that my brother decided to build his new architectural company in conjunction with GEH out here in the mountains."

Elliot whooped and raised his glass in the air, and the crowd chuckled.

"The rest, as you may already know, happened pretty quickly - I had agreed to stick around for a few weeks overseeing the construction with Ana by my side. Now, I'll be the first to admit that when I first laid eyes on her, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd seen in my entire life…"

The crowd cooed, and Ana smiled, looking down at the ground with a blush on her face.

"…But the more I worked alongside her, the more I was able to see her intelligence, her resourcefulness, her passion, and her deep love for all the people she cared about - her son and father especially. She opened my eyes to so many things, showed me so much of what I never realized was missing from my life, that I couldn't help but fall completely, totally, and irreversibly in love with her.

"It may have only been less than a year since Ana and I met, but I knew even before then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her and Ted by my side. I am the luckiest man in the world to be who this amazing woman has chosen to spend her life with, and I am going to do everything in my power to make her feel loved and cherished, every minute of every day."

"To Ana and Christian!" Elliot suddenly shouted, raising his glass high in the air again.

" _To Ana and Christian!_ " the crowd toasted in unison before they all cheered loudly.

Through all the noise and commotion, a chant of " _Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!_ " began to take form, and pretty soon a blushing and smiling Ana was being ushered toward Christian. He immediately reached out when she approached him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling down at her.

"I love you," Ana said, gazing into his eyes with all the love and sincerity she felt.

"I love you too."

Ana took Christian's face in her hands, and their lips met in a deep kiss, filled with love and longing and hope for the future. In the distance, they heard the cheers of the crowd around them.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading my story till the very end! The next chapter will be the epilogue set one year in the future.**

 **If you liked this chapter, please review! And be sure to follow me on Facebook - I go by the username Straw Paj**


	31. Epilogue

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this final chapter of Hills and Valleys :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 **~1 Year Later~**

"I'm heading out now, Leonard."

Ana folded up the final CAD drawing she was looking over before tucking it away into her filing cabinet and closing the drawer. She had spent practically the whole day looking at the new tool stamp designs from her employees and making the proper modifications wherever she could - she had a bit of a headache resulting from staring at papers and her computer screen all day, but that was pretty much normal for her as of late.

"Okay, Ana. Thanks again for looking those over for us," Leonard poked his head into Ana's office and smiled. He was an older, balding man with a sunny disposition, and today he was wearing a maroon polo shirt with the Sage logo on it. "Did you email Tom and me your changes?"

"Yup," Ana smiled, clicking off her computer before grabbing her coat. "I'll be here tomorrow morning in case you guys have any questions for me."

"Sure thing, Ana. You know, if you're feeling ill again, you don't have to come in tomorrow," Leonard said kindly as Ana grabbed her purse and turned off the light. "I remember my wife Martha was sicker than a dog practically every single morning during her first trimester."

"I'll be okay Leonard," Ana assured him, running a hand over her slightly protruding stomach. "I'm in my fourth month now, so most of my morning sickness has gone away. Thank God, too, since I didn't know how much longer I could handle it."

"Well, that's a relief," Leonard chuckled as he and Ana made their way toward the front door of the facility. Ana's office was on the second floor of Sage Tool & Die, and the walkway was on a balcony overlooking the entire 5,500 square-foot machine shop. Two dozen people were busily working with CNC machines and die cutting tools, as was usual for this place.

Sage reminded Ana a lot of a more industrial version of her and her dad's carpentry shop out in Easton, which was probably what attracted her to this company in the first place. GEH had actually owned this company for years, which was how Ana had first learned about it - when Christian mentioned offhand that Sage needed a new on-site manager, Ana offered to do it herself. She had a basic understanding of all the machinery used for tool & die making (though the manager job didn't require her to use the machines), and since Ted was now in school all day and she was no longer at Steele Woodworking, Christian agreed that it would be a great idea for her to work at Sage. He took her on a tour of the facility, and Ana was immediately in love - it was a great company with wonderful people, and it was in a manufacturing field she understood quite well. It was a perfect fit, and Ana was delighted to be working here.

As Ana followed Leonard through the machine shop, several of the workers looked up from their stations and waved at them, smiling. Ana waved and smiled back.

"Good luck at the doctor's today, Ana," one of the workers piped up - an elderly black man wearing protective eye goggles.

"Thanks Randall," Ana smiled at him.

"Hope it's a boy," Nathan the intern piped up.

"I already have a boy. Are you trying to kill me?" Ana joked, and the others laughed.

"Best of luck to you, Ana," Marge, one of the machinists, smiled as she and Leonard passed by. "You and Mr. Grey are going to be amazing parents to this new baby."

"Thank you, Marge," Ana smiled, accepting a hug from the older woman. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Ana and Leonard stepped out of the glass front doors into the parking lot, and immediately saw Christian, Taylor, and Luke standing nearby beside the SUV, looking almost identical in their 'men-in-black' suits and sunglasses. Christian smiled widely when he saw Ana approaching him, and he stepped forward to take her in his arms.

"Hey sweetie," Christian smiled, leaning down and kissing her on the lips. "You ready to find out the sex of our baby?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ana smiled at him. "Can we grab a burger or something after the appointment though? I'm starving, and Dr. Greene said I'm not supposed to eat anything beforehand."

"Whatever you want, baby," Christian chuckled, pecking her one more time on the forehead. He then turned to Leonard and held out his hand. "Leonard - good to see you again."

"You too, Mr. Grey," Leonard smiled widely, taking his hand. "Good luck at the doctor's today. I have to say, everyone here at Sage is so excited for this baby you and Ana are going to have."

"That's very kind of you," Christian grinned at him before glancing down at Ana. "We should probably get going soon, if we're going to make it on time."

"Yeah you're right," Ana said, glancing down at her watch. "Thanks for walking me down, Leonard - I'll see you tomorrow."

"No problem. Bye Ana," Leonard waved at them before walking back inside.

Ana and Christian got into the backseat while Taylor and Luke sat in front, Taylor behind the wheel. He pulled out of the parking lot and into the street, and Ana leaned back in her seat before closing her eyes.

"Got another headache, baby?" Christian asked sympathetically, rubbing her knee, and Ana nodded.

"Yeah, it's been bothering me a lot for the last hour or two," she lifted a hand and rubbed one of her temples. "I think it's from staring at my computer for too long."

"Please don't strain yourself, sweetheart - especially now," Christian said seriously, placing his hand on her protruding belly. "It's never too early for you to take a leave of absence from your job at Sage, you know. It's not like I'm going to fire you or anything."

"Very funny," Ana said with a smirk. "I happen to love my job, and I can put up with a few pregnancy pains in the meantime. Besides, Dr. Greene says I can take acetaminophen to help ease the pain if it gets to be too bad."

Christian grimaced slightly, but didn't say anything as he turned to look out the window at the passing buildings they drove past. Ana slipped her hand in his, lacing their fingers together, before resting her cheek against his shoulder. "Wanna tell me about your day?"

Christian turned to look down at her, smiling gently. "You're very cute, Mrs. Grey."

Ana giggled. "I like when you call me that."

"Well, we're nine months into our marriage - I'd think you'd be used to it by now," Christian chuckled, squeezing her hand. "As for my day today… well, I spent the last few hours trying to get Ted's adoption papers in order."

Ana sat up, gazing at him. "Any luck this time?"

"Not really," Christian said, frowning slightly. "The court recognizes that I'm Ted's stepfather and you're his godmother-turned-adoptive mother, but they claim they need a birth parent signing off on his adoption before it can go through. I've tried to explain that Ted doesn't have any birth parents left, but they won't listen. It's ridiculous."

"Even if Ted's biological father were still around so he could sign away his rights, we'd probably never find him. I doubt he even knows Ted exists," Ana said. "It's not even worth the trouble of looking."

"If they can't find the biological father, then they're bound to grant me adoption rights," Christian reached up a hand and tugged his copper hair like he often did when he was frustrated. "God, it's so tempting to just throw my money around and make this adoption happen in the blink of an eye."

"That's probably not going to make you look good in the eyes of the court, baby," Ana said sympathetically. "I'm sure this adoption will go through eventually, but even if it doesn't, you will always be Ted's dad - some stupid papers don't have to tell you that."

"I know," Christian said, though he still looked a bit dejected as he turned to stare out the window. He didn't speak for several moments, and Ana felt she could guess what else was bothering him.

"I'm sorry you're upset about all this, sweetheart, but these sort of things take time," she said patiently, and when Christian still didn't say anything, she sighed. "Ted has called you 'Christian' ever since he met you. It's kind of a hard habit for him to break…"

"I've been his stepfather for nine months," Christian countered, looking back over at Ana with a frown on his face. "You and I have spoken to him about it time and time again - why is it still so hard for him to call me Dad?"

"Enough," Ana said firmly, and she placed her hands on either side of Christian's face, looking right at him. "Ted loves you, Christian… he's struggling to call you Dad because he's never had a father before and it's a difficult concept for him to grasp. But that doesn't change the fact that he loves you… and I love you, and this baby is going to love you too. You're surrounded by so much love every single day, so please just stop with all this and try to enjoy this wonderful day when we're going to find out the sex of our child."

Christian gazed into Ana's eyes before his expression softened, and he smiled at her. "Okay," he agreed, and he kissed the palm of her hand. "Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome," Ana smiled at him, finally bringing her hands away from his face. Just then, Taylor slowed the car down and pulled into the parking lot of Dr. Greene's office.

"Ready to do this, Mrs. Grey?" Christian asked as Taylor brought the car up to the front door of the facility. Ana smiled.

"Definitely."

~/~

About half an hour later, Ana and Christian were in Dr. Greene's office, and Ana was laid up on the table wearing the standard blue paper robe. Her slightly protruding stomach made the robe more ill-fitting than usual, but she chose to ignore it as she lay back and waited for the doctor to arrive, her hands folded across her belly as she fiddled her thumbs. Christian sat in the chair next to her, reading one of the pamphlets he found.

"Hey, did you know a common side effect after a woman gives birth is incontinence?" Christian asked, reading something on the pamphlet. Ana couldn't help but snort with laughter.

"Great. So the baby and I can wear matching diapers?" she asked sarcastically, and Christian chuckled.

"Sorry I brought it up."

At that moment, there was a light knock on the door and Dr. Greene poked her head inside. She smiled. "Hey, you two. Are you ready to see your baby today?"

"Yup," Ana smiled as Dr. Greene stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Christian set down his pamphlet before moving his chair closer to the table where Ana was laying.

"Alright, here we are," Dr. Greene wheeled over the ultrasound machine. "How have you been feeling since I last saw you, Ana? Any nausea, migraines, or stomach pain?"

"She was complaining of a headache when we were in the car earlier," Christian piped up, and Ana shot him a look.

"I got a headache earlier today, but it's going away now," she said to Dr. Greene, who nodded.

"That's good. Headaches are fairly normal during this stage of pregnancy, but if they become debilitating migraines that prevent you from going about your day-to-day activities, then I want you to call me." Dr. Greene turned on the machine and picked up the bottle of petroleum jelly. "Alright, you can open up your robe near the abdomen, and then we can get started."

Ana opened the front of her robe where her pregnant belly stuck out slightly. Dr. Greene squirted some of the jelly onto Ana's stomach before rubbing the tip of the ultrasound wand on her skin.

"Let's see here…" Dr. Greene fiddled with something on the machine, and after a moment, a rhythmic pitter-patter sound filled the small office space.

"Oh my God, is that…?" Ana's wide-eyed gaze met Christian's, and he smiled at her.

"Yup, that's your baby's heartbeat," Dr. Greene smiled, pointing at the heart monitor on the screen. "It looks very strong too - that's definitely what we want to see."

Christian took Ana's hand in his own, and Ana squeezed back, smiling widely. The sound of their baby's heartbeat was so reassuring and wonderful. She felt she could listen to that beautiful sound all day long.

"Alright. Now if I move over here… we can finally see your baby," Dr. Greene shifted the wand down before pulling the monitor forward, showing the black and white ultrasound footage of Ana's uterus. There was a small, distinct-looking blob in the center that was clearly the fetus.

Their baby.

Tears filled Ana's eyes as she stared at the screen. This was the first real glimpse they were getting of their child, aside from her first ultrasound months ago when it was still the size of a bean. Now it was much bigger, with distinct limbs and a head that looked quite large on its tiny body. Ana and Christian could only stare at the screen as if transfixed.

"Oh my God," Christian breathed after a moment, squeezing Ana's hand even tighter. "That's our baby."

Ana finally tore her gaze away to look at Christian, and she could see he had tears in his eyes as well. The two of them smiled widely at each other, their emotions making them incapable of speaking, and Christian leaned forward to kiss Ana sweetly on the forehead.

"…So are you guys ready to find out if you're having a boy or a girl?" Dr. Greene asked, tapping a couple buttons on the machine.

Ana and Christian still looked at each other, and they seemed to come to a silent consensus. "Yes, we're ready," Ana said to Dr. Greene, turning to look at her.

They were ready for this baby.

* * *

 **~Later~**

It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon once Christian and Ana were done at Dr. Greene's office, so Taylor drove them down to Ted's school to pick him up for the day. He was his usual exuberant self as he ran toward the car, his Spiderman backpack bouncing on his back as he rushed along.

"Slow down there, Tiger," Christian chuckled as he helped Ted take off his backpack and get into his carseat before buckling him in. "How was school today?"

"We learned about butterflies!" he exclaimed immediately, bouncing happily in his seat. "Teacher got us cocoons!"

"Wow, that's awesome," Ana said as Christian closed the car door and Taylor pulled back onto the road. "Do you want to tell us about it?"

The rest of the car ride was Ted telling them about how their teacher got cocoons that were going to hatch and become butterflies in the next few weeks, which they were then going to release into the wild. He talked as if they were the coolest things he'd ever seen, and his excitement made Ana and Christian smile at each other.

Taylor pulled into the driveway of their house when Ana's stomach suddenly rumbled.

"Oh no, we forgot to get my burger," Ana pouted, rubbing her stomach.

"Oh," Christian frowned. "I'm sorry. Taylor or I can run out to McDonald's really quick and grab you something if you'd like."

"No, that's okay. I won't put you through the trouble," Ana said as she got out of the car. "I'm sure Gail's leftover chicken from last night is still in the fridge…"

Christian and Ana helped Ted out of his carseat, and the four of them made their way inside the house. The whole place had changed quite a bit from when Ana and Christian first stepped into it a year ago - the vast, empty space had now been filled with furniture, bookshelves, coffee tables, a big screen TV, and dozens of pictures on the wall featuring the whole Grey family. There were many of Ana, Christian, and Ted at their wedding day nine months ago, but there were also some sweet family photos of them with Grace, Carrick, Elliot, Mia, and Ray.

Gail was currently dusting some of the bookshelves in the living room when they walked in, and she looked up and smiled at them.

"Hi guys," she greeted them brightly. "How was your day at school, Teddy?"

"Good!" Ted shouted before bolting upstairs toward his room. The adults all chuckled.

"The boy loves to learn," Ana smirked. "Gail, could I bother you right now to make me something to eat? I've really been craving meat today, and your roast chicken from last night sounds amazing right now."

"Of course, Ana," Gail smiled. "I'll heat up a plate of it for you."

"Ooh, and put some mustard on the side," Ana said as Gail made her way to the kitchen. "Thank you!"

"Chicken and mustard? Your pregnancy cravings are getting very strange, Mrs. Grey," Christian chuckled, taking off his suit jacket and placing it on the back of a nearby chair. The next moment, Ted came running back down the stairs and into the living room. He went straight for the TV, where he liked to watch his after-school cartoons, and Ana and Christian glanced at each other.

"Hey Ted, sweetie?" Ana made her way into the living room, and Christian followed her. "Can we talk to you for a second?"

She and Christian sat on the couch together, and Ted walked over to stand in front of his mother. As he was prone to do lately, his eyes went down to her slightly protruding stomach, and Ana ran her hand over it.

"Teddy, remember when we told you I was going to go to the doctor today?" Ana asked, and Ted nodded.

"Well… the doctor told us that this baby we're going to have is a girl," Ana said, and she exchanged a happy smile with Christian. "That means she is going to be your little sister."

"Sister?" Ted asked, as if testing out the word.

"Yeah," Christian nodded, smiling. "Me and Mommy are going to be her Mommy and Daddy, and you're going to be her big brother."

Ted didn't say anything for a moment as he reached out to caress Ana's protruding stomach. "Is she in there?"

"Yes, sweetie, she is," Ana said, smiling at him.

Ted then looked up at Christian. "Are you her daddy?"

"Yes, I am," Christian nodded. Ted's face suddenly fell into a heavy scowl, however, causing Ana and Christian to look at him in surprise.

"No," he said firmly, "You're my daddy! _Mine_!"

His unexpected possessiveness of Christian was a little shocking to say the least, but Ana's heart was immediately warmed when she heard him refer to Christian as his daddy - something she and Christian had been urging him to do for a long time now.

"Oh Teddy," Christian said sympathetically, and he reached forward to pick up Ted and perch him on his lap. "I'll always be your daddy, but now I'm going to be your sister's daddy too. It's a wonderful thing, I promise."

Ted didn't say anything as he crossed his arms stubbornly in front of his chest, and Ana and Christian both chuckled sympathetically.

"It's alright, buddy," Ana reached over and rubbed his arm. "Daddy and I will always love you, no matter what. We promise." When he still didn't answer, Ana let out a small sigh. "Would you like to watch your cartoons now?"

Ted immediately perked up, and he nodded. Christian and Ana both laughed as he hopped up off Christian's lap and scurried over to the TV.

"I suppose that could have gone worse," Ana said quietly as she settled into the couch and leaned against Christian's side. Ted turned on the TV and flipped the channel to Cartoon Network, where one of his favorite shows Adventure Time was playing. "He called you Daddy, though."

"Yeah, he did," Christian smiled brightly, and Ana couldn't help but smile too. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and she felt Christian press a sweet kiss to her forehead.

Gail soon brought Ana her plate of chicken and mustard, and she ate it while she, Christian, and Ted watched TV. Christian placed his arm along the couch behind Ana's head, and he pulled out his BlackBerry to check some emails. The three of them sat in comfortable silence for awhile as they watched the cartoon playing on TV, and once Ana finished her food she brought her dirty plate back into the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to head upstairs for a bit and finish up some work in my office," Ana said to Christian as she went back into the living room.

"Okay. I'll head upstairs with you," Christian said getting up from the couch. Ted was still transfixed by the TV, and didn't even notice his parents both leaving the room.

Christian and Ana were silent as they walked upstairs together, and Christian noticed her mindlessly running her hand along her stomach. "Everything alright, baby?" he asked, and Ana looked over at him.

"Yeah. Just thinking about our daughter," she said. They made it to the second floor landing and she suddenly stopped in her tracks. "I want to name her Hannah."

Christian gazed at Ana for a moment, seeing the firm resolve in her face, before smiling. "I think that's a wonderful name."

Ana smiled too, and she looked down at her stomach, her hand still caressing the small bump. Christian walked over to her and placed his hand over hers, and she looked up at him.

"I love you so much, Mrs. Grey," he whispered, his eyes conveying all the affection and love he felt. Ana smiled before leaning forward and kissing Christian softly on the lips.

"And I love you, Mr. Grey. I can't wait until our baby gets here."

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading up until the very end! I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did :)**

 **Please review!**


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